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Biology Major Wins $10,000 in New York Business Plan Competition

Lazar Paroški ’25 won first place in the 2023 New York Business Plan Competition (NYBPC), an intercollegiate entrepreneurship contest, taking home $10,000 for his success in the Safety, Power and Mobility category. A biology major with a concentration in ecology and environmental science, Paroški came out on top for his invention Algea3, a multifunctional park bench that can effectively clean the air in urban environments with limited green space.

“Algea3 utilizes a device called an area bioreactor, which is 50 times more effective at cleaning carbon dioxide than a tree,” Paroški said. “I wanted to create an innovative way to clean carbon dioxide from the air, especially in developed areas that need it most.”

Students were selected to participate in the NYBPC after competing at the semi-final competitions hosted by partner colleges and universities in all 10 regions of New York. Paroški qualified in the Mid-Hudson region and advanced to the statewide finals, which took place in April 2023.

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