This winter semester, nearly 100 local high school and college students have been learning about entrepreneurship and how to build innovative solutions. The culmination event is happening May 13 when the student teams will compete for cash prizes as they pitch their work to a live audience and panel of judges at the Northwest Michigan Student Pitch Competition.
The event is open to the public. Members of the community are invited to attend and show their support for the students.
This Northern Michigan Startup Week event is hosted by Newton’s Road and Northwestern Michigan College. Students received mentorship support from SCORE Traverse City and Michigan Tech University. Funding for materials and prizes was provided by Northwestern Michigan College Foundation.
High School Pitch Competition
The first part of the evening is the High School Pitch Competition featuring four student teams:
- AP Computer Science Class at Elk Rapids High School
- Engineering Academy second year students at the Career Tech Center
- Sci-Ma-Tech 10th grade technology class at Traverse City West High School
- Tech Girls Club at Traverse City Central High School
In total, approximately 80 high school students have strengthened their skills about the engineering process and pitching their ideas as a result of the Northwest Michigan Student Pitch Competition. Each school selected their best-in-class team who will represent them at the competition.
“This event will showcase some of the rigorous STEM learning opportunities available in our regional high schools,” said Barb Termaat, Executive Director of Newton’s Road. “In addition, these students have learned important soft skills like how to develop a pitch and communicate the benefit of their ideas, process, and outcomes to an audience.”
Northwestern Michigan College Pitch Competition
The second part of the evening is the Northwestern Michigan College (NMC) Pitch Competition featuring students who completed a special topics course on startups. Throughout the semester, the students learned concepts and tools associated with entrepreneurship, as well as identified opportunities, developed teams, and created solutions. They developed prototypes in the NMC Makerspace and honed their pitches. Five teams will now be pitching products supporting pet owners, surveyors, farmers, teachers, and 3D printers.
“Throughout the course, these students have experienced the excitement of creative problem solving and building something new,” said Keith E. Kelly, course instructor. “Along the way, they’ve learned how to apply tools such as Business Model Canvas, Lean and Agile methodology, and the engineering process.”
Key event details:
- When: Friday, May 13, 2022
- Time: Doors open at 5:30 pm. Program begins at 6 pm.
- Location: City Opera House (106 E. Front St., Traverse City)
- Who should attend: The event is open to the public.
- Cost: Free
- Registration recommended. The event will also be live-streamed for those interested in watching the program virtually.
About Northern Michigan Startup Week
Northwest Michigan Student Pitch Competition is part of Northern Michigan Startup Week, a celebration of entrepreneurship, innovation, and the growing startup community in Northern Michigan May 9-15th. Northern Michigan Startup Week is open to everyone – students and adults. It’s for everyone with curiosity or an idea they want to explore, those who want to make new connections, and those who want to get in on the action of building something new. A collaborative initiative, Northern Michigan Startup Week is organized by 20Fathoms, TCNewTech, Northern Michigan Angels, and Newton’s Road. Lead sponsors are Hagerty, Boomerang Catapult, Michigan Economic Development Corporation, and Northwestern Michigan College.
About Newton’s Road
Newton’s Road is an independent nonprofit organization dedicated to STEM-related learning for all youth in the 5 county region. Northern Michigan Startup Week is an example of our work engaging with educators, businesses and community leaders in the process of creating influential experiences that can lead to vibrant futures for our youth.
About Northwestern Michigan College
Northwestern Michigan College is a publicly funded community college that serves more than 50,000 learners annually throughout the Grand Traverse region and beyond. NMC is integrally woven into the economic, social and cultural fabric of the region, providing leadership and support for key initiatives that shape our communities and prepare our learners for rich and meaningful lives.
