To say these are challenging economic times is an understatement. As Covid-19 vaccines are slowly being distributed, the promise of a revived economy seems closer than ever. Not so fast, though, as experts warn that life in the United States will probably not return to normal until the fall.

And yet in spite of all of the uncertainty, entrepreneurs are still founding new companies. The Fordham Foundry, a business incubator based at the Gabelli School of Business, has continued to stage contests for burgeoning ideas. Its most recent one, the “Ram’s Den,” took place on February 6, and a second one, a pitch challenge geared toward less developed business plans, will take place on March 27.

So what is life like for a small business owner these days? We sat down with Brandon Adamson, a Gabelli MBA graduate whose company Beauitmaps won the 2019 pitch challenge, and Ozzy Usman, a current EMBA student who won second place in this year's Ram's Den with his small business lending company Equiduct.