SBTDC Hosts Junior Shark Tank Competition
The Small Business and Technology Development Center (SBTDC) at ECU hosted a Junior Shark Tank competition at John Cotton Tayloe Elementary School in Washington on May 10. SBTDC business counselors coached several teams of second graders ahead of the competition. The mini-entrepreneurs brainstormed business ideas for a product or service that could improve their school, learned about pricing and profit, and developed a marketing campaign complete with poster designs, taglines and logos. The student teams then pitched their ideas to a panel of ‘sharks’ to win a prize. School administrators sat in as the panel of ‘sharks.’
Prizes were awarded to the student team with the most creative product, best advertising, most compelling pitch and best teamwork.
Rob Bower, director of the SBTDC at ECU, said, “ECU is committed to transforming the region, including providing opportunities for organic economic growth to entrepreneurs and small business owners. We want area youth to understand that business ownership and entrepreneurship is a real option for them too.”
Bower added that the session was a lot of fun and that the students had really creative ideas and great energy. He looks forward to continuing these types of educational opportunities at schools throughout the region.
The SBTDC is a grant funded agency whose mission is to positively impact North Carolina’s economy by helping to grow small and mid-sized businesses and launch promising start-ups, creating a nurturing environment for small business success and a prosperous North Carolina for all.
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