High School Hosts “Shark Tank” Entrepreneurship Competition
Holmberg, Hoffman, and Mullenhoff Finish in Top 3!
By: Leigh High School Journalism Staff
A common saying about entrepreneurs is that they tend to bite off more than they can chew in hopes they can quickly learn how to chew it.
This was the case for the Leigh High School sophomore entrepreneurship class as they participated in a real-life scenario where they had just three weeks to create a business plan and pitch a loan for a business they could realistically manage in the Leigh area.
The project culminated with a “Shark-Tank” competition based off the hit TV show. Each member of the class presented their project in the high school gym for a panel of judges and small audience.
The businesses that were developed were lawn care, snow removal, custom hay cutting and baling, fishing guide, airbrushing shoes, shaping cowboy hats, home cleaning, photography, video game design, and wooden decorative sign manufacturing.
Ms. Jennifer Remmereid, who teaches the class, says she plans to make the formal presentation and Shark Tank competition an annual event.
"The Shark Tank competition was definitely a success,” Ms. Remmereid said. “It gave our students a real-life experience to work with local business people and also to create a business plan for a realistic business. The goal is that when it comes time to own a business as they get older or have a side-gig job, they can use the tools they learned in class to be successful."
The winners from the competition were Jackson Mullenhoff in third place with “RedStar Apply,” Jessica Hoffman in second with “Shine My Ride,” and Kyle Holmberg winning the competition with “Kyle’s Kettle Corn.”
“The Shark Tank project helped me understand how a business works and how to think like an entrepreneur. The judges were very professional and made us all think about how much goes into running a business,” Holmberg said.
Winners received a certificate, candy bar, and a 3-D printed shark.
Judges for the event consisted of Tiffany Malena, owner of Steps at Tiffany's Dance Studio, Jason Mullenhoff, owner of Pig Express, and Kurt Dostal from Citizen's State Bank.
Juniors Audie Tejkl and Makenna Held were also judges for the event.
“It was lots of fun coming up with a business and figuring out the logistics of it,” Jessica Hoffman said. “We also had fun watching others present their business pitches to the judges. I’m really appreciative of all the judges who gave up their time to come to school to see our ideas.”