Prospect High School student entrepreneurs shine in national competition
Entrepreneurship thrives on ideas, innovation, problem-solving and, sometimes, getting the right ideas in front of the right people.
So it is with Prospect High School students Molly Beyna, Lexi Kuzak and Neve Pomis. As part of a national competition, they recently pitched their product to a panel of investor judges. The panel, in turn, awarded the trio $8,000 to take their breakthrough product to the next level.
The product is Shimmer Shield, which represents the girls’ innovation in response to the problem of tarnished jewelry. As the trio explain on their website: “We were tired of seeing our favorite rings lose their shine and necklaces turn dull — so instead of just dealing with it, we decided to do something about it.”
Beyna, Kuzak and Pomis credit a PHS business class taught by Chad Froeschle for equipping them with the budgeting, branding and marketing savvy to transform their concept into an actual product: a protective spray they describe as “portable, affordable, and safe to use on your favorite pieces.”
“The class,” the girls say, “gave us the structure, the encouragement, and most importantly, the confidence to believe in our idea.”
The class and product also provided a springboard from which to attract wider attention and funding. The three emerged from preliminary competition as one of only five high school teams nationwide to present at the National INCubatoredu Pitch Competition July 10 at Willis Tower in Chicago. So impressed were the judges there that they made the Shimmer Shield creators one of only two teams to receive funding.
While Shimmer Shield’s success is recent, Northwest Suburban High School District 214’s push to give students real-world experiences is not.
“For over a decade, District 214 has been committed to providing students with real-world experiences that build the essential skills needed for success in an evolving economy,” said Dr. Lázaro López, executive director of Education Foundation & Career Pathways. “Entrepreneurial opportunities embedded in coursework — like those offered through INCubatoredu — equip students to think creatively, solve problems and confidently present their ideas. The District 214 Education Foundation is proud to support Shimmer Shield and the student entrepreneurs behind it, whose innovation and ambition exemplify the impact of these learning experiences.”
Of course, it’s one thing for opportunities to exist and another for students to seize and make the most of them. Which, Froeschle said, is exactly what the Shimmer Shield team did.
“Molly, Lexi and Neve put in an incredible amount of time and effort leading up to the Summit,” he said. “They took every bit of feedback from our business mentors to heart, practiced relentlessly and truly owned their pitch on that stage. I was so proud of the way they represented themselves and Prospect. They were an absolute joy to work with throughout the year. Their energy, creativity, and enthusiasm has been contagious every step of the way.”
The pitch competition was the highlight marking the 12th year of the Uncharted Learning national summit. The summit itself is the brainchild of Barrington-based Uncharted Learning, which offers to schools its INCubatoredu program, designed to engage students in real-world business entrepreneurship education led by teachers and assisted by mentors and coaches from the community.
Uncharted Learning was formed by entrepreneurs who designed INCubatoredu after studying business incubators and programs aimed at fostering soft skills in education. The annual summit brings together educators, entrepreneurs and other experts to enhance support for students who are finding their way as entrepreneurs. To date, the annual national competition has generated more than $172,000 in awards to students by investors who also share with students insight, guidance and encouragement.