Students in Rock Island High School's INCUBATOR Entrepreneurship Class gave a 45-second elevator pitch to business leaders in the community.
Real entrepreneurs and industry experts serve as volunteer mentors. They are invited to come listen to the pitches and then get matched with the group as a mentor. Throughout the year those mentors will help guide student teams through the process of developing hypotheses about a business concept, testing those hypotheses, adapting, and continually learning and improving.
This gives students the opportunity to practice giving pitches and getting feedback on their business ideas.
This year there are ten student teams.
The program is designed to get Rock Island High School students excited about becoming entrepreneurs.
Throughout the year students will learn what it is to be an entrepreneur, dig into all aspects of business and develop skills such as team building, problem-solving and creative and critical thinking.
Students will develop their own product or service start up and pitch it in a "Shark Tak" style to potential investors at the end of the year at Final Pitch Night event.
Students leave the course having completed a Business Model Canvas, competitive analysis, financial model, minimum viable product, pitch deck, future communications plan, and a future funding plan.
