From Competition Win to Campus Innovation: How One SPS Student’s Idea Grew Into Research, Funding, and an Emerging EdTech Venture
Corey Pettway || December 15, 2025
When CUNY SPS student Corey Pettway, an undergrad business science major, secured first place at the New York Business Plan Competition’s (NYBPC) NYC Regional Finals in April 2025, it represented a significant milestone. His educational tool, Good Job, had been introduced earlier that year at the Management and Entrepreneur Leadership Organization (MELO) competition, where it received early recognition as a promising innovation in early childhood education. MELO is a body of CUNY SPS students and professors who empower students to grow as leaders and innovators. Through workshops, events, and networking opportunities, members explore business and entrepreneurship while building the skills and connections needed for long-term success.
The NYBPC victory, in the “Learn, Work & Live” track, showcased Good Job as a simple but effective tool for improving early literacy and math engagement through positive reinforcement. According to the official announcement, the regional event highlighted standout student-led ventures from across New York City, and Pettway’s pitch secured him a place in the statewide finals, representing both CUNY SPS and the NYC region.
For Pettway, the win served less as a finish line and more as a catalyst. “When you make a Shark Tank–style pitch to venture capital executives, you hope for investment,” he said. Though this win was not the outcome he expected, Pettway commented, “What I received was something even greater, the chance to transform an idea into meaningful research, and not just a product to sell on Amazon.”
From Prototype to Research Study
After the competition, Pettway partnered with SPS faculty to develop a formal research study, pending approval from the Institutional Review Board (IRB), the committee responsible for ensuring ethical standards in human-subject research. The study explores educators’ perception of the Good Job tool when used in real classroom settings and examines how the tool supports skills such as phonics, vocabulary, counting, kinesthetic learning, early math foundations, and reading comprehension. approval, exploring educators’ perception of the Good Job tool when used in real classroom settings. The study examines how the tool supports skills such as phonics, vocabulary, counting, kinesthetic learning, early math foundations, and reading comprehension.
This research process —which uses qualitative STEM research design to gather educator feedback — became the next major phase of the project. As the co-investigator, Pettway now works alongside faculty leadership, including Dr. Diane Penaloza, a doctoral lecturer in the CUNY SPS Business Program and the principal investigator on the study, to collect data, evaluate responses and assess the tool’s educational impact.
Faculty leaders have taken notice. In the April 2025 SPS newsletter, Dr. Lisa R. Braverman, dean of the CUNY School of Professional Studies, described Pettway’s NYBPC win as “an inspiring achievement.” Academic leadership echoed this recognition as the project transitioned into research. “Corey’s investigative approach as a student researcher reflects a strong blend of inquisitiveness, collaboration, and analytical rigor,” said Dr. Tara Lanni, academic director and doctoral lecturer for the online business programs at CUNY SPS.
Opening the Door to Major Grants
Developing the research study also positioned CUNY SPS to pursue significant grant opportunities. Because Good Job sits at the intersection of early childhood development, literacy, math readiness, kinesthetic learning, and special education support, it aligns naturally with multiple state and federal funding priorities.
As a result, SPS has begun preparing grant applications with the potential to bring millions of dollars in funding to the university. These grants would support expanded data collection, technology development, pilot programs in schools and community centers, and further research into the tool’s impact on young learners. “The possibility that a student-led idea could catalyze major funding opportunities shows what can happen when SPS invests in innovation,” Pettway said.
From Research to an Emerging EdTech Venture
With research underway and institutional support growing, Good Job is now moving toward becoming a potential EdTech venture. Pettway is exploring pathways to scale the tool for use in schools, therapeutic settings, tutoring centers, and home-learning environments. Educators, occupational therapists, and specialists who have interacted with the prototype have provided valuable feedback, affirming both the need for and practicality of the tool. The combination of teacher usability, child engagement, and evidence-backed design positions Good Job for broader adoption. “It would be amazing to see Good Job support educators in underserved communities like where I grew up in Brooklyn, N.Y. (Marcy Projects),” Pettway explained.
A year after his NYBPC win, the story of Good Job is no longer just about a competition result — it is a living example of how CUNY SPS students can turn inspiration into research, research into impact, and impact into real innovation.
Author’s Note:
Portions of this article were edited by the author with the assistance of generative AI (ChatGPT). All ideas, experiences and perspectives expressed are the author’s own.
