RUSE 2025 HS 1st Place Winners
The Rutgers University Student Executive (RUSE) Program successfully completed its eighth year of the innovative business and entrepreneurship program on March 25, 2025. Created in 2017 by Dr. Oscar Holmes IV and sponsored by Rutgers School of Business–Camden (RSBC), RUSE is a nine-week program designed to introduce high-achieving 10th, 11th, and 12th-grade South Jersey/Philadelphia high school students and Rutgers–Camden undergraduate students to business, entrepreneurship, and community and business leaders.
For the fifth consecutive year, the RUSE program had an undergraduate track that allowed current Rutgers–Camden undergraduate students to compete for award monies sponsored by the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey. The High School Track awards were once again sponsored by the Delta Epsilon Boulé of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity, Inc.
The first-place winners in the high school track were Sophia Brosious, a 10th grader at Camden County Technical School – Gloucester Township Campus, Kierra LaPierre, an 11th grader at Camden County Technical School – Gloucester Township Campus, and Brady Cobb, an 11th grader at West Deptford High School. The team won $1,500 for their business idea, Find My Bus. This innovative service monitors bus and student locations to cut costs, help increase student attendance, and provide safety and convenience for drivers, parents, and students. Brosious remarked, “RUSE was a very impactful experience. I was given the opportunity to work together with people I didn’t know to create something important. I also was able to meet people in the business field, who not only gave me tips for my presentation, but also things that would help me later on in life.”
RUSE 2025 HS 2nd Place Winners
The second-place winners from the high school track were Austin Souza, a 12th grader at Camden County Technical School – Gloucester Township Campus who participated in RUSE the past two years, James Nguyen, a 12th grader at Gloucester City High School who also participated in RUSE last year, and Assa Sylla, a 12th grader at Hightstown High School. They won $1,000 for their business idea, BioFresh Water Bottle, a bottle that uses innovative technology to self-clean and self-sanitize. Reflecting on his experience, Souza stated, “Participating in the RUSE program was an incredible experience. It challenged me to think creatively and collaborate with my group members. I also gained valuable insights from inspiring entrepreneurs. I’m proud to have been a part of this program and very proud of what my team and I accomplished.”
RUSE 2025 HS 3rd Place Winners
Third-place winners from the high school track were Pedro “Ari” Rivera, a 12th grader at Leap Academy Charter School, Isabella Iordanov, an 11th grader at Mainland Regional High School, and Justin Tran, a 12th grader at Gloucester City High School who also participated in RUSE last year. They won $500 for their business idea, Viso Tech, an innovative Smart motorcycle helmet that uses heads-up display technology in the visor to keep motorcyclists safer while engaging with technology. In commenting about his participation in RUSE, Ari stated, “Thank you for the opportunity to participate in RUSE; I got some valuable experience and learned a lot. I only wish I heard about it sooner. Nonetheless, it’s something I’m sure to remember when I’m running my own startup business.”
RUSE 2025 UG 1st Place Winners
First-place winners in the undergraduate track were Aye Thinzar Htin Aung, a first-year Biology major, LaRodge Johnson-Miller, a senior Marketing and Liberal Arts major, and Conner Payne, a first-year Finance major. They won $1,500 for their business idea, NeuroTunes, innovative earbuds and headphones that use transcranial magnetic stimulation to enhance the listening experience for users. Aung reflected, “It has been such an honor to be part of this experience and to learn valuable entrepreneurial thinking skills from the amazing guest speakers you brought in. As a biology major with very little background in business or entrepreneurship, this program taught me lessons and perspectives that I would not have learned elsewhere. It truly broadened my thinking and gave me new tools that I can apply to my future career.”
RUSE 2025 UG 2nd Place Winner
The second-place winner in the undergraduate track was Morgan Bartleson, a first-year Biology major. She won $1,000 for her business idea, UltraWays, a wand that can be installed in entryways that uses far-UVC light to sanitize footwear. Bartleson stated, “As a Biology major, I am always looking for ways to broaden my knowledge outside of the sciences, so I am incredibly grateful for all the business experience/information I received in RUSE!”
RUSE 2025 UG 3rd Place Winners
Third-place winners were Hoda Niaz, a senior Computer Science and Psychology major, Namarlyn Urena Rodriguez, a senior Business Administration major, and Adam Jean, a first-year Finance and Computer Science major. They won $500 for their business idea, ParkMate, an intelligent parking technology that uses sensors for real-time monitoring to locate parking spaces for drivers. Hoda remarked, “Participating in the RUSE program was an incredible experience that enhanced my business skills and deepened my understanding of real-world financial challenges. Collaborating with a talented team and applying all of our unique skills together to create a project has been both rewarding and educating. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be part of such an enriching and supportive program and environment. Thank you to Dr. Holmes for creating such a program, one that encourages growth, inspires learning, and cultivates success!”
Representing the Delta Epsilon Boulé, Damon Pennington, President and CEO of ATS Group, LLC, was the judge for the high school track. Representing the African American Chamber of Commerce of New Jersey, Bydeia Harmon, Community Development Officer at AACCNJ, was the judge for the undergraduate track. In judging the competition, Harmon stated, “The most valuable investment is time, as we dive deeper into that investment, to be more direct, it is time invested in our youth! This is the gateway to success being bred for future communities.”
RUSE facilitators this year included Damon Pennington, Kerry Benson, Sam Ballard, Patricia Claybrook, Anthony Robinson, Damien Ghee, and Lisa Finkelstein. RUSE’s off-site field trip was to The Campbell’s Company, where Krystal Burgess, Ashley Vetter, and Kurt Yasenchak shared many business lessons and career advice on their leadership panel and took students on a tour of the facility.
RUSE’s highest service award, the Champion of Business Youth award, is given annually to people who have gone above and beyond in promoting business education through their individual efforts and partnerships with Rutgers School of Business-Camden. The 2025 Champion of Business Youth award winner was Bria Terrell, the owner of Bite-sized Blessings and a two-time past RUSE participant. Terrell is the first RUSE alum who has also served as a RUSE facilitator.
Recruitment for the ninth cohort of RUSE students will commence in October 2025 and more information about the RUSE program and Rutgers School of Business–Camden can be found by visiting the RSBC website.
Photo Credits: Myo Thinzar Htin Aung