Wildly named ideas like City Sleekers, Hedge Hugs, Mission Control and the Spunnel were among those presented at the Entrepreneurship Club’s Business Idea Pitch. On Jan. 22, students gathered in the University Student Center ballroom to compete in the tournament of innovation.
“Our mission is to equip our members with best skills and contacts to help them change their environments the way they see fit, no matter what their major,” said Entrepreneurship Club president Chris Carpentier. “We are the do club. We don’t do ice cream socials—we do startup workshops, business competitions and networking events.”
Fourteen “pitchers” were given 90 seconds to explain their idea and impress the judges. Following the pitch, the judges asked questions about the idea presented, from cost and assembly to target buyers. As students elaborated on their ideas, judges spoke to them more as investors than instructors.
“We see this as a once-a-semester event and we want to build some tradition around it,” said Entrepreneurship Creative in Residence and judge Nathan Schwagler.
Other judges present included John Morrow, the Entrepreneurship major’s Entrepreneur in Residence; Bill Jackson, director of the entrepreneurship program; Kevin Hackett, a Wells Fargo representative and sponsor; Daniel James Scott, the associate director of the program; and Reuben Pressman, the first graduate of the entrepreneurship program. The judges based pitch rankings on presentation quality, and whether the idea presented validated an assumption and solved a problem.
Pressman spoke to the audience and the young entrepreneurs about the event and entrepreneurship as a major.
“It teaches you to challenge assumptions,” he said. “It teaches you to turn problems into opportunities and look at things differently and tackle them with a whole other way of thinking.”
Winners of the evening included Nick Price in first place with City Sleekers, Evan Koteles in second with the Spunnel and Lazar Anderson in third with Localmark.it.
City Sleekers is Price’s newly founded eco-friendly mobile car detailing company. The service dispatches bicyclists to ride out to vehicles and do on the spot cleaning with eco-friendly cleaning products. Price has two locations and mobility in downtown St. Petersburg. He won $200 and a spot to compete at the Southeastern Entrepreneurship Conference Pitch Competition at the University of Tampa, on Feb. 1 and Feb. 2.
“I’ve been pitching to myself for practice,” Price said. “I’ve been here in front of the mirror recording myself. The pitch will support itself as long as I don’t get nervous.”
