Last week, Push Interactive, a company founded by Ithaca College seniors Stephen Briggs and Andrew Sowers, Calvin Chestnut ’14 and Austin Shoecraft ’14, was purchased by GORGES Inc. for an undisclosed amount. Push Interactive, a marketing firm that uses Bluetooth iBeacons, was a participant in last year’s Business Idea Competition and one of the first members of Rev Ithaca, a coworking space that opened in September 2014.

Push Interactive is a perfect example of what students can do when given the right opportunities. Programs at the college like the Business Idea Competition give students the chance to develop and refine their entrepreneurial ideas. Even groups that don’t win the competition come out having gained the experience of developing a pitch and receiving feedback. Student entrepreneurs can also benefit from opportunities like Rev Ithaca, which provides startups the chance to collaborate with other local businesses and further strengthen their ideas.

The college has established a supportive environment for student entrepreneurs through programs like the Business Idea Competition and Rev Ithaca. Students with business ambitions should take full advantage of the opportunities the college has created to help them.