Startup Club will host its annual Shark Tank competition on March 21. Anyone, not just club members, can sign up to participate and design and pitch a product, work on public speaking and problem solving skills, and hone in on their creative side.

The competition is similar to the popular reality show “Shark Tank,” where rising entrepreneurs present their products to five venture capitalists (“sharks”) and offer an ownership stake of the company in return for funding. 

In Startup Club’s competition, competitors will pitch their created designs to a panel of judges with professional business experience. Last year, Startup Club had Mr. Kenneth Kantz (MT IB Economics teacher), Dr. David Ealy (owner of David Ealy Technologies) and Mrs. Mary Papadimitriou (owner of Escape Room Lancaster) as judges. Kantz and Ealy will return to judge again this year. 

While students will not be asking for funding for their products, prize money provided by the Student Grant organization will be split among first, second and third place winners. The judges will work together to choose the best pitches while also providing feedback to all teams on what was done well and  areas for improvement.

The goal of the event is for students to think and act like entrepreneurs and effectively design products that solve everyday problems. Products can range from apps and websites to physical inventions, or even prototypes and models. Contestants can work in groups or individually and may consult Startup Club leaders along the way. 

Bill Wang, President of Startclub and first place winner of last year’s Shark Tank event, had some advice to share from his experience during the competition. 

“Presentation is key. It doesn’t matter how groundbreaking your idea is if you can’t pitch it in a convincing way,” he said. 

He was also able to reflect upon what he liked best about participating in the event. 

“The valuable opportunity to have been able to receive professional feedback on my ideas is something I couldn’t have passed up,” said Wang. 

Ealy will be holding a meeting on Feb. 27 during clubs to teach contestants visual presentation basics, how to research ideas and how to ask for and respond to advice or questions from judges.

Sign ups to participate in the competition are open. Those looking to experience what it’s like to work as an entrepreneur can sign up with this link: https://forms.gle/ijBXZKYA2HBedrYd6