Student startups win seed money at Dist. 303 pitch night
Come up with an everyday problem. Find a distinctive solution. Turn it into a small business.
Those were the instructions given last fall to high schoolers enrolled in a new entrepreneurship program in St. Charles Unit District 303.
Most student teams hit the ground running, determined to create a concept worthy of community resources, future investments and a strong customer base.
But St. Charles East senior Caleb Wright was skeptical. No way could a group of high schoolers develop a practical product or service, he thought, let alone something that stands a chance against professional companies.
He was happy to be wrong.
Wright's team, PetVision, was one of three student-run startups to be awarded seed money during the district's first INCubatoredu Final Pitch Night.
Similar to the ABC show "Shark Tank," six teams presented their business plans to a panel of community judges, who determined how to divvy up $10,000.
PetVision received $4,000 to help develop a dog collar that uses GPS tracking to keep tabs on a pet's location. The group started with a vision and mission statement, members said, and eventually created a product with specialized features, such as LED lights and a "contact owner" button.
"It was very difficult to pick one issue and try and solve it ... knowing there are so many other products out there," Wright said. "I've learned a whole lot about being unique."
Another $4,000 was awarded to SetMyFuture, a team from St. Charles North that created a job search website geared toward teens and young adults.
The district will nominate both groups to participate in the INCubatoredu National Pitch competition July 17 in Chicago.
The remaining $2,000 was given to Right On Time, also from St. Charles North, for its real-time software that informs users of appointments and delays.
The pitch night culminated a yearlong class allowing students to embark on their own business ventures with help from peers, teachers and community stakeholders. The INCubatoredu curriculum, created by local nonprofit Uncharted Learning, was implemented nearly six years ago at Barrington High School and since has expanded to several other suburban schools.
More than 80 local leaders, business owners and corporate professionals volunteered to assist with St. Charles' program in its first year, said Melissa Byrne, District 303 director of college and career readiness. Some even served as mentors.
"I've seen incredible growth in each and every one of the students in really learning that entrepreneurial mindset and changing their view of what failure looks like," she said.
For St. Charles North senior Justin Powell, the biggest challenge was coming up with a product that was new and different. His team, SetMyFuture, determined that focusing on a specific demographic would set it apart from other job search sites.
"(This program) really opens your eyes to what it's like to make a company," he said. "To grow, to know the ups and downs, to know what's really behind running a business."
Students had their ideas finalized and a prototype created by the end of last semester, at which point they gave an elevator pitch to a group of judges, Byrne said. That panel provided feedback on whether the business could be sustainable and how it could be improved.
The second half of the course was spent fine-tuning those concepts, developing a long-term business plan and preparing their pitches.
"My favorite part is sharing with people what we've come up with and how far we've made it from there and the development along every step of the way," senior Jack Craney of PetVision said.
Tweaking concepts and adjusting business plans was crucial for students to create a successful product, said Shannon Stone, INCubatoredu teacher at St. Charles East. Mistakes couldn't become roadblocks.
The St. Charles East program also is taught by Keith Glavan. At North, the teacher is Steve Haftl.
The winners aren't the only teams that can move on, Byrne said. Any of the students can seek funding from additional sources and enroll in the next level of the program - ACCELeratoredu - to further develop their businesses next academic year.
"It's all about learning and growing and trying to emulate the skills it takes to be an entrepreneur," Stone said.
Winning Pitch Night teams
Team: PetVision
School: St. Charles East
Students: Dylan Both, Jack Craney, Jacob Daeschler, Caleb Wright
About: Ten million dogs are lost every year, and 700,000 of them will never return home. PetVision is working to bridge this problem. We offer a unique GPS Tracking Dog Collar that tracks your pet's exact location at any time. Other unique features include LED lights and a "contact owner" button that sends the pet's location.
Award: $4,000, a nomination to participate in the July 17 INCubatoredu National Pitch competition
• • •
Team: SetMyFuture
School: St. Charles North
Students: Lexxi Guadagnoli, Dominick Mastrangeli, Justin Powell, Brigid Redmond-Mattucci
About: SetMyFuture has created a website which is a central location for jobs, internships and volunteer opportunities catered for teens and young adults. Businesses and companies can post on our website while teens and young adults can easily search for the right opportunity for them.
Award: $4,000, a nomination to participate in the July 17 INCubatoredu National Pitch competition
• • •
Team: Right On Time
School: St. Charles North
Students: Ashlyn Aichele, Maddie Solomon, Cece Wahlberg
About: Right On Time is a real-time update software to inform you on upcoming appointments and delays that might occur. We understand that every minute of the day is important, so our software will prevent wasted time waiting for appointments.
Award: $2,000