Brian Bergen said he learned the fundamentals of business while serving in the military. Now that training has paid off with a $20,000 award. Although Bergen admitted he has no green thumb, his company is raking in the green with anticipated annual revenues of $150,000 this year. In Bergen’s entry, employees log each service visit on a mobile application and submit the notes and records of work performed to the clients via email. This streamlines the entire process for both customers and staff. “A young entrepreneur can find one of these service industries with slow-moving, outdated processes and use new technology to be more efficient and look more impressive to potential customers,” Bergen said.
Before studying entrepreneurship at Rutgers, Bergen received his undergraduate degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point and spent eight years in the U.S. military, where he also served in Iraq. Bergen attributes much of his hands-on business success to the military, where he honed his skills in risk taking, decision making and self-discipline. Bergen Botanicals, a service-disabled veteran-owned business, donates 20 percent of its profits to organizations supporting veterans with disabilities.