Paint Branch’s first-ever entrepreneurial competition hit the ground running on Thursday, February 19th as students involved in Paint Branch’s Academy of Finance participated in the “Why not me? Entrepreneurial Contest.”
Students who had been working on their business ideas for weeks in preparation for the contest presented their ideas to a panel of judges in the hope of advancing to the final round of the competition and, ultimately, the monetary award and opportunity to bring their idea to fruition. During LAP the judges, Mr. Gilchrist, Mr. Hardy and Mr. Massey, analyzed business-plan presentations for clothing companies, new energy drinks, cafés, supply stores and even online tutoring programs. Each group had only five minutes to present their business idea to the judges, which was followed by two minutes of feedback from the judges. Each group worked hard to make sure they presented all of their information within the time limit.
The judges looked at the groups’ business plans and the steps that the groups planned to take to achieve their goals while staying within their budget and, eventually, realizing profits.
Thursday’s event narrowed the field down to five finalists out of the nine groups competing. These finalists move on to the March 9th finals where they will battle it out for the opportunity to turn their idea into a reality. One of the day’s winners, senior Eyouel Mesfin, was “nervous but glad that [they] made it through as one of the finalists in the competition.”