The Lubin School of Business at Pace University has announced the 2014 winners of the Pace Business Plan Competition. This year’s winner is MBA graduate Christa Gray Page. Her business is 50ROOTS.com.
50ROOTS.com is an e-commerce site dedicated to selling Made in the USA products. Its mission is to support the American Made Movement by connecting socially and environmentally responsible consumers with high quality, homegrown, innovative, made in America products.
50ROOTS’ product offering includes unique Made in America gift items and accessories for men, women, children, pets, and the home. 50ROOTS.com is designed to leverage American innovation while supporting local economies, designers and manufacturers. 50ROOTS’s high-quality products are all manufactured by environmentally and socially responsible businesses in the United States, with a significant proportion of items created using repurposed or upcycled materials.
Christa Gray Page is a recent MBA graduate in Strategic Management from the Lubin School of Business at Pace University. She also holds a BPS in Fashion Merchandising and Business Administration from Marist College and is currently the Co-Founder and President of 50Roots.com.
After nearly 10 years of merchandising, product development and sourcing management, primarily in the fashion industry, Christa became concerned with the repercussions of extensive outsourcing. 50ROOTS.com was born from her desire for high-quality, American-made products developed through responsible business practices.
The Pace University Business Plan Competition is held to foster the entrepreneurial spirit among students, promote practical business skills and encourage the creation of new ventures. Currently enrolled undergraduate and graduate students at Pace, as well as recent Pace alumni (those who have graduated within the past two years), are encouraged to submit an original Business Plan each spring semester. Plans may be submitted for commercial businesses as well as social ventures.