St. Francis School Hosts Inaugural Startup Day

From St. Francis High School College Preparatory:

WHEATON, IL - On Tuesday, November 15, in partnership with Microsoft, St. Francis High School’s Business and Technology department hosted Startup Day, an inaugural 12-hour event for 25 students currently enrolled in Business classes.

Students were broken into teams and were tasked with presenting a business plan for a new product, app or service to a panel of judges. Using curriculum from Microsoft YouthSparks Camps, students learned the basic components of developing a business plan, including market research, pricing, distribution and advertising, as well as how to pitch their idea to a potential investor. Throughout the day, alumni entrepreneurs visited with the students and shared their own stories of starting up businesses, providing valuable advice for overcoming obstacles and bringing innovation to their business plans.

The student presentations were evaluated and rated based on criteria that included the marketing strategy, business structure, financing, presentation skills and the products themselves. The panel of judges were represented by two school parents in business, a representative from Microsoft and an entrepreneur/speaker.

The winners of the Startup Day’s “Best New Business” were seniors Lexie Barella, Nick Brouch, Patrick Gerard and Sarah Jin for their innovative “Smart” Dog Collar and accompanying app “SmartBark”, a dog collar that tracks the health and activity level of canines, relays key information to veterinary professionals, and connects pet owners to walk routes, dog parks, GPS services for lost pets, and other resources. Each team member was awarded with prizes sponsored by the Microsoft Store in Oakbrook.

Image via St. Francis High School College Preparatory