We’ve all heard of the show “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs present their ideas to the sharks: Kevin O’Leary, Mark Cuban, Lori Greiner, Daymond John, and Barbara Corcoran—instead of the ABC network airing “Shark Tank,” Waynesburg University itself held one.
Last month, the eHIVE and the Department of Business Administration collaborated to put together this event, where the students on March 30 had to submit a short video about their business idea.
If selected for the finals, someone would pitch their business idea in front of the sharks with a chance to win money, with first place getting $500, second place getting $400, and third place getting $300, with the fan favorite receiving $300.
An event like this is good practice for the real-world experience of pitching ideas, according to Adam Huckestein.
“While participating in the ‘Shark Tank’ event, students got the opportunity to practice pitching business ideas in front of a live audience and judges,” Huckestein said. “Students were also given the chance to come to the eHIVE and meet with staff to go over pitching strategies so they could formulate the best pitch to the judges for their business.”
Being the Program Coordinator for the eHIVE, Huckestein enjoys these types of events because of the passion students show when they participate.
“I thoroughly enjoyed getting to run this event because it is always a smaller group of students, but they always have a lot of passion for what they are working on,” Huckestein said. “Giving students the chance to win money to further their business, while also learning new ways to pitch their business to others, can be very impactful and help them take a step in the right direction with their business venture.”
Freshman Alexander Jenkins Jr. felt like this experience helped him learn that there is more out there for him
“There’s a lot out there that can be bought, can be made, and can be sold,” Jenkins said. “I learned that me personally that I have to work on my finances in my business, that’s about it.”
Here’s the list of full participants and their business ideas:
Simba Dubé: DUBÉ Streetwear Atelier – 1st Place
Larry Ronstadt and Rocky Bobak: Eco Slim Wallets – 2nd Place
Tyler Gordon and Beau Hawkins: Eco Clocks – 3rd Place
Nicky Veychek and Kaylee Ayers: Faith-Based Apparel at Waynesburg University
Federico Cortes: 3 Shooters
Matthew Dennis: Keychain Pens
Cristian Mecea: Wild Wipes Wardenclyffe Tower
Alexander Jenkins Jr: DeucesUpPhotography