Phoenix High School students pitch business ideas in ‘Shark Tank’-style competition

Students at Phoenix High School in Gwinnett County recently competed in a “Shark Tank”-style business pitch event, presenting original startup ideas to a panel of judges from local businesses and industries.

The event gave students a chance to move beyond classroom theory and put their ideas to the test in front of real professionals. Each student had five minutes to present a business concept, walking judges through a problem, a solution, a target market, and a financial breakdown that included cost-per-unit and monthly break-even calculations.

“I feel like it was one of the best experiences that I could have had,” said Phoenix High student Lorelei Sego. “Instead of just conceptualizing everything and studying it, it gave me a chance to really kind of put pressure on myself and really experience what it is like to put your business into action and present your business with confidence and be who you really knew you could be.”

Prizes totaling more than $2,000 were available to winning students. Sponsors Mingledorff’s and Capital City Mechanical supported the event.

Ten judges from area businesses evaluated each pitch based on how strong the business idea was and how well the student presented it. Students ended their presentations with a breakdown of how they would spend any investment money to grow their businesses.

“Seeing our students transition from identifying a problem to pitching a viable commercial solution is inspiring,” said Phoenix High Principal Niki Ross. “Thanks to the generous support of Mingledorff’s, Capital City Mechanical, and our local judges, our students are gaining real-world experience that prepares them for the competitive landscape of the modern economy.”

The following professionals served as judges for the event:

• Autumn Andrews, Workforce Development Manager, Gwinnett County Government.
• Matt McCurley, Engineer, WIKA USA.
• Hani Omran, Engineering Manufacturing Manager, RealTruck.
• Tim Quinn, Enterprise Account Manager, Amazon Web Services.
• Kyle Freedman, Principal and Director of Talent, Pond Engineering.
• Nick Schofer, Director of Chapter Development, Atlanta Electrical Contractors.
• Marco Rivera, Senior Account Executive for K-12 Education, Amazon.
• Steven Cohen, Director of Guest Experience and Business Optimization, Zaxby’s Corporation.
• Gabriella Mendoza, Human Resources, Capital City Mechanical.
• Adrienne Hood, General Manager, Sugarloaf Mills – Simon Malls.