Square 1 has announced that seven finalist teams presented their innovative business pitches in the NEXT final pitch competition recently.
The competition was held virtually this year due to COVID-19. It featured notable guest speakers Neil Hoffman, Shark Tanker and entrepreneur, as well as Dawn Tolonen, professor in Xavier University’s entrepreneurship department.
Hoffman had this valuable advice to students as they begin their professional and entrepreneurial journeys, “Don’t be afraid of failure, and don’t be afraid to adapt, it’s part of the process.”
This Year’s Pitch Winners Include:
EZ Lift team
1st Place: EZ Lift
The Covington Catholic team of Jordan Bezold, Ryan Cain, and Hayden Heist won 1st place and $1,000 for their universal electric powered truck lift.
2nd Place: 3D Defense
The Holy Cross 3D Defense team won 2nd place and $750 for their innovative idea of a defense jewelry that changes colors when it detects date rape drugs.
Most Innovative: On the Table Tech
The Holy Cross On the Table Tech team won the Most Innovative award and $500 for their idea of a self cleaning medical table.
Social Responsibility: Moon Day
The Finneytown Team Moon Day won the social responsibility award and $500 for their idea of a distribution system of feminine products to low income families.
The following teams each won $100 for their innovative ideas and entrepreneurial mindset:
Workershare (Finneytown) – an app to rate employers where young people can find well paying, accessible jobs.
Giftr (CovCath) – Gift guide app to make shopping simple.
Findspace (Beechwood) – Technology-enabled parking spot finder app.
To learn more about Square 1 and student innovators, click here.
