2026 Business Plan Winner

Mayor Kraham Announces The Paddle House As 2026 Binghamton Business Plan Winner

- Annual Contest Awards $10,000 To Support Binghamton Start-Ups -

(BINGHAMTON, N.Y.) - Mayor Jared M. Kraham on Wednesday joined the Binghamton Local Development Corporation (BLDC) and SUNY Broome's Entrepreneurial Assistance Program (EAP) to announce The Paddle House as the 2026 Binghamton Business Plan Competition winner.

Mayor Kraham said: "The Binghamton Business Plan Competition continues to highlight the creativity and entrepreneurial energy that exists throughout our community, and this year's contestants once again brought forward an impressive group of ideas. The Paddle House stood out with a vision that adds something new to our local landscape by expanding year-round recreational opportunities for residents. Congratulations to this year's winners, and thank you to all our finalists for their hard work, dedication and commitment to growing opportunities in our community."

The Paddle House will be a 24/7 indoor pickleball facility serving the Greater Binghamton region, founded by Binghamton University students and graduates Kai Chen, Jason Moeller and Brian Ng. The business plans to create a dedicated, year-round sports venue featuring pickleball courts, cornhole, ping pong and pool. It will offer memberships, leagues, tournaments, coaching, private rentals and a pro shop.

The Paddle House aims to meet local demand for dedicated indoor pickleball facilities by providing accessible, consistent opportunities for recreational and competitive players of all ages and skill levels.

Jason Moeller, co-owner of The Paddle House,said: "The Paddle House will be Broome County's first and only dedicated pickleball facility, featuring five courts and a social entertainment lounge for all ages and skill levels. Born out of a need for more indoor recreation in the area, we're incredibly excited to bring a year-round space to the community where people can stay active, connect, and enjoy themselves regardless of weather. If members of the public are interested, presale memberships will open by July 31. Inquiries of interest can be sent to [email protected]."

The annual Binghamton Business Plan Competition awards a cash prize and administrative support to the contestant who submits the best plan for developing a business in the City of Binghamton.

The Paddle House plans to use its $7,000 in prize money to support its launch, including through buildout, marketing and early operating expenses. The business plans to convert an existing former retail space into a dedicated sports venue, though a specific location has not yet been selected.

In addition to the cash award, the contest winner also receives a range of administrative support services to help grow their business, donated in-kind by Binghamton businesses and organizations, including:

• Five hours of accounting services courtesy of Davidson, Fox & Co.
• $500 of legal counsel courtesy of Coughlin & Gerhart, LLP
• $500 in sign creation services courtesy of 3i Graphics & Signs
• $500 in website services courtesy of Freshy
• $500 in branding services courtesy of Idea-Kraft
• One-year membership courtesy of the Triple Cities Makerspace
• One-year membership in the Greater Binghamton Chamber of Commerce
• Three-month co-working membership at the Koffman Southern Tier Incubator courtesy of Binghamton University's Office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation Partnerships

The second-place winner of the 2026 Binghamton Business Plan Competition is Thready or Not, a sustainable textiles and creative workshop studio that plans to transform thrifted and donated clothing into one-of-a-kind apparel while offering sewing, repair and textile upcycling classes in a community-focused creative space.

Founded by Christine MacNamee, Thready or Not plans to create a community space in the City of Binghamton focused on sustainability, creativity and hands-on learning.

In third place, CerVa LLC received a $1,000 prize. CerVa LLC is a Binghamton-based software startup developing a mobile authenticity application that helps users verify whether digital images, audio and video are authentic or AI-generated to improve trust and protect against scams and synthetic media.

CerVa LLC was co-founded by Lucy Chen, Binghamton University MBA graduate, and Yu Chen, Ph.D., professor of electrical and computer engineering at Thomas J. Watson College of Engineering and Applied Science.

The BLDC-EAP Binghamton Business Plan Competition is the longest running contest of its kind in the Greater Binghamton area. Now in its 16th year, the competition has a strong legacy of cultivating local business development, promoting entrepreneurial spirit and raising awareness about SUNY Broome's Entrepreneurial Assistance Program, BLDC financing and other community resources for small business growth.

Applicants must either plan to start a business or have an existing business in the City of Binghamton that is no more than five years old. Those planning to open a business must demonstrate the ability to finance and launch the business within four months of winning the competition.

This year's competition was judged by a volunteer panel of two active commercial loan officers and a representative from Empire State Development.

The prize money for the annual competition comes from M&T Bank, the annual budget of the BLDC's Marketing & Outreach Plan funded by the BLDC's Urban Development Action Grant and the Binghamton University Koffman Southern Tier Incubator. Additional financial support was provided by Sall-Stearns and the Binghamton-Oneonta Building Trades Council.