thinkBIG! Challenge 24-25 » Veale Entrepreneurs

thinkBIG! Challenge

An online business plan competition open to all high school students in Northeast Ohio, offering $9,000 in prizes. Finalists are invited to attend Executive Coaching and receive guidance from entrepreneurial professionals in the Cleveland business community. The final 6 teams will compete live at the thinkBIG! Summit March 4, 2025.

Registration for thinkBIG! Challenge opens December 2, 2024.

Registration for thinkBIG! Challenge closes Wednesday, January 22, 2025.

Finalists of the thinkBIG! Challenge will be invited to attend the in-person Executive Coaching Day at MAGNET Cleveland on Wednesday, February 12, 2025.

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How it Works

Step 1: Executive Summary Submission

Teams (1 to 4 members) will submit an Executive Summary that explores and develops business ventures in one or two tracks: Innovation or Small Business.
The Executive Summary should be no more than 5 pages in length and must describe the concept and outline the problem, the solution, customers, the competition, assets needed, challenges, and financial feasibility.

Deadline for Executive Summary Submission: Wednesday, January 22, 2025 by midnight!

Finalists Proceeding to Live Pitch Competition Announcement: Tuesday, February 4, 2025!

executive coaching day

Step 2: Executive Coaching Session on February 12, 2025

The six teams chosen to pitch the thinkBIG! Summit will receive Executive Coaching from a professional entrepreneur!

Step 3: Live Pitch at thinkBIG! Summit on March 4, 2025

The final 6 teams will present live in front of judges and attendees at the thinkBIG! Summit on March 4, 2025. Three teams from each track will compete for the cash prizes.

Please download required challenge documents for both tracks here:

Innovation Executive Summary Guidelines
Small Business Executive Summary Guidelines
Innovation Scoring Rubric
Small Business Scoring Rubric

Please view all rules, eligibility, terms, and conditions for the 2022-2023 thinkBIG! Challenge and Summit here:

Rules, Eligibility, Terms and Conditions

Prizes

Offering $9,000 in prizes!

First Place for each track will receive $3,000 per team.

Second Place for each track will receive $1,000 per team.

Third Place for each track will each receive $500 per team.

The Grand Prize Team will be presented with our Traveling Veale Innovation Trophy to display at their school for the 2025-2026 school year!

Areas of Focus:

Networking, Entrepreneurial Mindset, Design thinking, Validation, Sales and Operations, Online Marketing, Finance and Accounting, Effective Communication, Collaboration, Public Speaking