Online-shopping app Rosie wins Startup Labs Syracuse competition

SYRACUSE — CenterState CEO today awarded the $200,000 top prize in its Startup Labs Syracuse contest to Rosie Applications, Inc., an Ithaca–based maker of an online-shopping application.

Rosie Applications receives a cash prize of $150,000 and $50,000 in marketing and branding services from Syracuse–based advertising agency Eric Mower + Associates.

The Ithaca company says that its Rosie shopping tool will save customers time, money, and stress by predicting household products they need, before they run out, and ordering them from local grocers and online retailers. Customers purchase online through rosieapp.com or through Rosie’s iPhone app and their orders are sent to their favorite local retailers for in-store pickup, Rosie Applications says on its website.

Rosie Applications beat out four other businesses — Full Circle Feed of Syracuse; SnagMobile, LLC of Delmar; Pretty Padded Room of New York City; and Yorango, Inc. of Ithaca — to score the victory in Startup Labs competition.

CenterState CEO, the region’s major economic-development organization, announced the winner at its annual luncheon meeting today at the Nicholas J. Pirro Convention Center at Oncenter. More than 1,000 people attended.

Also at the meeting, a prominent upstate New York business executive discussed how Central New York business and community leaders could adapt to meet new challenges facing their companies.

Kevin Warren, president of U.S. client operations at Xerox Corp., based in Rochester, gave the keynote address.

“The key to sustainability and growth is being open to reinvention and the opportunities that come with it,” Warren said. “Regardless of industry, businesses must be skilled at changing. There is tremendous opportunity with change, but most people associate change with loss because it’s a disruption. No one can avoid disruption, but we can choose how to drive change.”

CenterState CEO also honored four companies with its annual “Business of the Year” award, including Tops Friendly Markets in the category of firms with more than 50 employees. It named Terakeet Corp. the winner among the finalists with fewer than 50 employees.

Syracuse University earned the award for community involvement. And, the Onondaga Historical Society won in the nonprofit category.

Contact Reinhardt at ereinhardt@cnybj.com