Meadowbrook students pitch business ideas in final round of contest
Meadowbrook High students pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges May 11 in the VCU da Vinci Center Shift Retail Lab in the final round of a Shark-Tank-style competition. Round 1 took place in April with more than 50 students in the Meadowbrook Academy for Developing Entrepreneurs pitching their businesses, then the top students from each grade level moved on to the final round, with one winner from each grade level receiving $1,000 in seed money for their businesses.
Meadowbrook High’s Shark Tank project began at the start of the 2021-22 school year, when the Chesterfield Education Foundation connected the Meadowbrook Academy for Developing Entrepreneurs with a Fund for Entrepreneurial Growth grant of $20,000 from the Community Foundation for a greater Richmond. The VCU da Vinci Center joined the collaboration, which enabled Meadowbrook students to participate in the VCU Entrepreneurship Academy, earn micro-credentials in design thinking, business model canvas, art of the pitch and digital literacy and connect with VCU graduate students as teachers and mentors.
Congratulations to the Shark Tank winners:
- Freshman Kileya for KMilan Creations, producing pillows with pockets.
- Sophomore Justice for Evolution, an urban streetwear business.
- Junior Prestyn for Naturally Beautiful, a skin care company producing shea butter.
- Senior Elijah for PrinceElijah_10, a gaming/philanthropist YouTube channel.