REAGAN WESTERFIELD:

I’m so thankful for this experience and hearing what everyone had to say about our idea and presentation.  It felt great to present a product we believed in, and for it to be so well received.

We plan on entering more competitions with our idea and eventually decide if we would like to pursue actually making our product.  I plan on going to college for marketing as it is my main passion.

KAYLEE KOLOKOSKE:

I felt privileged to be there, and I felt great about all the Entrepreneurs providing us with feedback. We are planning to enter other competitions. When hearing the feedback from the judges, it helped me gain more confidence in the product.  I plan to go to Kent State for Vet Tech, I love working and learning about different types of animals.

KARMYA WHITE:

I feel confident in our product and all it can offer, once the idea is translated into the real deal. I am more confident in our idea as well after hearing feedback and gaining support from the judges and others! 

My plans for moving forward on this innovation are to patent our idea and start to connect with the professionals we mentioned such as Patricia Lupe. I’d also like to enter more contests, and continue to share our idea as much as possible to gain more support and money to fund this innovation so we can pursue it & make a positive impact!

MAGGIE CHEN:

The thinkBIG! Summit was an incredible experience and solidified my interest in entrepreneurship/business. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my idea and hear from experienced entrepreneurs!

I am hoping to grow my program going forward. As I described in the presentation, I plan on establishing a chapter of El Puente at Harvey High School, Painesville’s high school. The second four-week round is set to run in April, and before then, I’ll speak with students and hear their thoughts and concerns directly. Somewhere down the line, I’d love to establish El Puente as a legally recognized nonprofit, but for now, the focus is getting more participants and immediate tasks.

An online business plan competition open to all high school students in Northeast Ohio, offering $8,000 in prizes. Semifinalists are invited to attend virtual Executive Coaching and receive guidance from entrepreneurial professionals in the Cleveland business community. The Final 4 teams will compete live at the thinkBIG! Summit on March 1, 2022.