Square1’s High School Pitch competition has named the winners of the contest that was moved online due to the pandemic. This year, more than 30 schools and 600 students participated in the region wide innovation and work skills development program.
Square1’s high school program saw its best, most impactful year yet with significant growth in schools and number of students served. Starting the year as Startup Scholars, the program had participating students rebrand the curriculum to NEXT. The rebrand was needed as the Startup Scholar name no longer represents the core benefits of the program.
“Startup Scholars was strictly an entrepreneurship program at the beginning,” said Square1 President Keith Schneider. “We saw a significant need to grow our next generation of entrepreneurs, and still do, however the tools and skills these kids were learning extend well beyond entrepreneurship.”
NEXT still dives into entrepreneurship and startups even going so far as to host an annual pitch contest. NEXT also supports student development from a career, social, and even emotional perspective. Basic business etiquette and work skills are included in the workshops and activities the students participate in. Additionally, they receive coaching and mentorship that helps shape ideas and fuel their career and academic interests. And through a variety of networking events the students engage with each other and community leaders opening doors that many would not have access to if not for Square1.
The events blend students from a variety of schools around Greater Cincinnati melding a range of socioeconomic backgrounds from inner city to parochial to technical schools. This year’s pitch contest winners represent this diversity and include:
First Place – Heat It! A tech-enabled lunch box allowing for a better, healthier variety of meals on the go. (Jason Hackman and Jonah Ikeda from Covington Catholic High School)
Second Place – Pirate Protection. A secure way to receive packages even when you are not home at the time of delivery. (Grace Martin, Kara Krumpelman, Carter Wahl, and Gaven Steward from Holy Cross High School)
Third Place – Drippy Lips. A (revenue generating) vegan cosmetic line that helps provide cosmetics for people who cannot use harsh chemicals in their cosmetics and who are multiethnic. (Noemi Yisra’EL from Finneytown High School)
Aviatra Accelerators Female-Led Innovation Award – CampusDoc. An app to ease the burden of health information management for college students. (Kate Joyce, Briana Seibert, Isabelle Bailey, and Phoebe Boyle from Notre Dame Academy)
Spirit of Entrepreneurship Award – D’Straw. A patent-pending straw that discreetly detects drugs in beverages. (Maddie Whaley and Hollie Lane from Holmes High School)
Innovation Award – Priceless Protection. A school security and emergency management products company. (Dominic Paterno, Rhett Schneider, and Joe Stegman from Covington Catholic High School)
More than $4,000 was awarded through the NEXT program thanks to the generous sponsors of Square1 including St. Elizabeth Healthcare, Orchestrate Technologies, MCF Advisors, US Bank, Northern Kentucky University and Taft Law.
Square1’s mission is to uncover, educate, support, and inspire emerging entrepreneurs and leaders. This mission is achieved through the NEXT program by working with high school students to teach how innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset can change their life’s trajectory.
Square1 is reaching out to schools now to include in our 2020-21 NEXT program. For more information and our latest news visit www.ideastartgrow.com.
