---

Corning, N.Y. -- Two groups of students from SUNY Corning Community College won first and second place at IncubatorWork’s 607 Soaring Collegiate Pitch Competition on Saturday, May 6.

Know and Grow Recovery, a team comprised of SUNY CCC students Rhonda Sowersby and Carli Clark, won first place. ZABO won second place and consisted of six SUNY CCC students - Adam Zaborsky, Mishala Wilber, Amaro Chavez, Jacqulyn Osburn, Judy Lee, and Julia Darcy.

Know and Grow Recovery won a $5,000 prize for first place, while ZABO’s second-place finish was rewarded with a prize of $2,500. The monetary award aims to help students launch their businesses and transform their ideas into reality.

Sowersby and Clark’s pitch addressed the current gaps in educational and skills training for recovery health professionals. With over 300 surveys conducted, the duo from Know and Grow Recovery found that current health professionals have limited trainings on the subject and the current trainings are offered at inconvenient times.

Know and Grow Recovery plans to offer self-paced trainings that are easily accessed through their website. They plan to provide a variety of multi-tiered subscription packages that include 1-on-1 and group trainings so that recovery professionals can craft a solution that best meets their needs.

"This business idea is important to us on a personal level,” stated Sowersby. “I'm inclined to believe that by providing pertinent training to these agencies, it may help reduce the stigma associated with those struggling with substance abuse disorders and get people the proper treatment they need to live fulfilling lives in recovery. Getting to the root of these obstacles will create a better tomorrow for all of us."

The ZABO team pitched a new product to help people with ADHD and anxiety. The product (ZABO) is a tool that users can roll, squeeze, push, and twist to combat common fidgety impulses without driving away friends and family members.

The concept for ZABO came from Zaborsky, whose sketch of the product was developed in SolidWorks by Wilber before being sent off to a manufacturer to produce prototypes. ZABO is made of tough, flexible, biodegradable, and recyclable material. Once the prototype was created, the team conducted focus groups to test the product on a critical market: college-aged students.

“This competition felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity where students could get together to envision and create something that is not yet a reality,” said Zaborsky. “I learned a lot by participating in this competition and working on this idea of mine: how to work in a team where it actually matters, how to develop leadership skills, and even gain more confidence. Without my team and mentor, I wouldn't have been able to bring ZABO this far.”

In total, eight teams competed in IncubatorWork’s 607 Soaring Collegiate Pitch Competition. The event was co-sponsored by SUNY Corning Community College, Elmira College, and Incubator Works. The event itself took place at Meier Hall on Elmira College’s campus in downtown Elmira, New York.