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Tribal Council Pitches Chief Panel of Judges

Crowd scene at Business Academy plus coverage

After being mic'd up by the tech team and TRSTV crew, Nicole Bustamante was ready for her closeup (right). Her pitch for a line of quality, affordable swimwear was one of 12 heard by a panel of five "chief" judges today in the High 乐鱼体育 South Business Academy headquarters (above).

Nichole ready for her closeup photo

Human interest venture wins the day

Feb. 27, 2025- It's fast become an annual tradition, and the signature capstone project for High 乐鱼体育 South Business Academy students: the Tribal Council. And it took place today in the academy鈥檚 marquee space, room E-2.

The Shark Tank-style competition has students pitch their businesses to a panel of local professionals鈥斺渢he Chiefs鈥濃攚ho in addition to judging offer constructive feedback, praise, and advice. This year鈥檚 panel included Greater Toms River Chamber of Commerce (GTRCC) CEO Marina Papanikolas, GTRCC board member Stacey Romano of M&T Bank, GTRCC board member Bill Kaufmann of Kaufmann Kreative, Kean University鈥檚 Kimberly Honnick, and Farro鈥檚 Tees鈥� Dominick Farro, who kicked off the event earlier this week by donating backpacks to all 12 contestants.

Chief panel of judges photo number 1
Marina Papanikolas

Chief panel of judges photo number 2
Stacey Romano

Chief panel of judges photo number 3
Bill Kaufmann

Chief panel of judges photo number 4
Dr. Kimberly Honnick

Chief panel of judges photo number 5
Dominick Farro

Chief panel of judges photo number host
Phil Brilliant

Teachers Gary Azzolini and Ron Zenker helped lead the day-long competition, alongside Assistant Principal Christopher Peck. The crew at TRSTV recorded the presentations, and that coverage is and . Local businessman and entrepreneur Phillip Brilliant served as host and emcee.

Business pitches ranged from services to retail, and students spoke alongside their digital presentations, discussing supply chains, their company鈥檚 website, target markets, budget projections, and all things business.

Sophia Citta makes her pitch Feb 27

Parents were Sophia Citta's target market, as her proposed business venture centered on emergency essentials for newborns and infants.

In the end, after the "chief" judges heard a dozen business plans from each of the talented and ambitious students, the following winners were named:

  • 1st place and $2k prize: Riddhi and Siddhi Jariwala for Kshetra Trust, a social venture aimed at uplifting people living in impoverished conditions in India
  • 2nd place and $1,500 prize: Chase Ford for MiLB Central, an Instagram-based promotional tool for minor league baseball players
  • 3rd place and $1k prize: JP Gluck for JG Powerwashing, a service venture he started at 16 and continues to grow

Congratulations to these victors and all of the contestants, and a thank you to the esteemed panel of "chiefs," without whom the Tribal Council isn't possible.

Additional photos from today's competition are below.