D15 Middle School Students To Pitch To Local Investors
On Tuesday April 14, 2020, local students involved in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) will be pitching the businesses they have created over the last several months to an investor panel. This event will take place at Sundling Junior High School, 1100 Smith Street in Palatine, and presentations will occur from 4:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m.; the awards presentation will happen at 8:00 p.m.
Student entrepreneurs will take the stage to present their business plans before a panel of prominent local business and organization leaders, as well as a public audience. Students will present, and be dressed as young professionals, and will be ready to wow the crowd.
"I invite you to witness the next generation of business leaders, as our amazing 7th and 8th grade entrepreneurs present in a "Shark Tank" forum," said Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce Executive (PACC) Director Steven Gaus. "The PACC is the only organization in Illinois to facilitate this program!"
Twenty students in grades seven and eight will be representing 17 businesses and social movements from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!). Each will have six minutes to pitch their business plans, during the program's annual YEA! Investor Panel Event "Shark Tank" style.
Based on the appeal and merit of the students' plans and presentations, representatives from Northrup Grumman, the Daily Herald, Lavelle Law, WalMart (and others yet to be confirmed) will determine the amount of funds to allocate to each business or social movement. Interested business leaders can contact the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce at 847-359-7200 if they would like to be a part of the investor panel.
The investors will also select one business to advance to the Young Entrepreneurs Academy Saunders Scholars Competition, where they will compete with students across the United States for college scholarships.
This event is free and open to the public. Interviews with young entrepreneurs or members of the judging panel can be arranged for the local news media, as the PACC believes this is a truly worthwhile story that encourages young people to be creative and entrepreneurial - which could truly change the course of their lives.