From left: (front row) Katy Gathright ’12 and Imran Khoja ’12 won a business plan competition
judged by (back row) Bob Kraus ’79, Malcolm Smith ’87 and Laurie Thomsen ’79

 

Katy Gathright and Imran Khoja, both Class of 2012, are staying in Williamstown this summer, working to launch their “socially conscious flash sales web business,” Designed Good. In a business plan competition judged by a panel of alumni, the students received a $15,000 seed grant, office space and free legal advice. The competition capped a year of entrepreneurial programming organized by local resident and biotech startup veteran Jeffrey Thomas, who brought together area business leaders, professors, staff, students and alumni for events, workshops and a Winter Study class. Khoja and Gathright’s business plan was one of 22 entries. You can read the executive summary for Designed Good at http://bit.ly/Msqd3o.