New Trier Students Awarded In Entrepreneurship Competitions

From New Trier High School:

Winnetka, Ill. – Four New Trier Entrepreneurship students earned multiple awards in business pitch competitions over the past year after enrolling in a course that functions as New Trier’s very own business incubator.

The New Trier Business Education Department, in partnership with the New Trier Educational Foundation, have been bringing real-world entrepreneurship experience to the classroom since 2017 with a nationally-recognized program called INCubatoredu. The program provides a specialized curriculum through online instructional materials, consultation on how the classroom is designed, a coaching and mentoring framework, and professional development resources for teachers and volunteers.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, the year-long course called Entrepreneurship: Startup U involved students developing a product or service while working with business experts from the community who serve as volunteer coaches and mentors, guiding student teams through the processes. At the end of the year, teams presented their businesses to a group of local entrepreneurs and business leaders at a pitch event, mimicking ABC’s popular business pitch show, Shark Tank.

Even with the lack of in-person opportunities this school year, the students still managed a strong showing in various virtual competitions.

“I’m thoroughly impressed by our students’ ability to remain flexible and innovative despite the challenges of the past year,” said Entrepreneurship teacher Matt Mersch. “Their entrepreneurial skills were evident as they adjusted to the constraints of online competing.”

Charlie Olesker ’22 created the Poop Loop: a leash accessory that holds dog waste so dog-walkers don’t have to. Made with a parachute cord, a zip-tight cord lock to grip the refuse bag, and a carabineer clip to attach it to the leash, the device has already accounted for over 200 sales. Five percent of every sale is also donated to each customer’s choice of five pet charities.

Olesker’s Poop Loop placed fourth out of 137 entries at the Illinois Math and Science Academy (IMSA) Power Pitch on April 18, earning him a $200 Amazon gift card. On April 29, he was selected as one of five winners out of 150 students and won $1,000 in the Celebrating High School Innovators (CHSI) pitch competition hosted virtually by Illinois State University and Pontiac Township High School.

Olesker took Entrepreneurship: Startup U during the 2019-2020 school year and plans to assist with classroom instruction next year through his involvement with SILC, or Senior Instructional Leadership Corps, a New Trier program that offers qualified seniors the opportunity to engage in leadership development through multi-purpose mentor relationships with teachers.

William Slavinsky ’21 created Northshore Composting during the summer of 2020 to provide nearby communities with an easier way to compost at a lower cost than commercial services. Households can sign up for his service by filling out a form on his website, www.northshorecomposting.com, where they can enter their information and select the frequency in which they’d like Slavinsky to pick up the bucket(s). He then composts them through Lakeshore Recycling Services. Each pickup costs $5, and those who opt for a two-bucket system pay an extra $2 per additional bucket.

In December 2020, Slavinsky finished in the top 10 of the CHSI pitch competition and won $500; his pitch also won a People’s Choice Award, earning him an additional $500.

“I learned about communicating my ideas to others in different demographics who may not fully understand the issue I'm tackling with my product,” Slavinsky told the New Trier Educational Foundation in January.
“I learned that if I believe in my idea and am honest to myself, presenting and sharing with others isn't a challenge when I know my product inside and out.”

Erika Kim ’22 came up with a one-of-a-kind online shopping technology called SewFit at the beginning of the current school year, which reduces the limitations of online shopping by scanning a user’s body to determine exactly what size they should purchase. While inconsistent sizing is rampant across clothing brands, SewFit would pair with specific retailers and enable shoppers to visualize exactly how clothing will look on the body instead of estimating.

In December 2020, Kim finished in the top 10 of the CHSI pitch competition and won a People’s Choice Award, earning $500 for each honor; she was also a semifinalist at the IMSA Power Pitch.

“This Entrepreneurship program made me more interested in business and the concept of sharing my own ideas to an audience,” she said. “[It] gave me an insight as to what people are looking for and the concerns someone may have on my product... I highly recommend anyone to take this Entrepreneurship program because it will truly help you grow as an entrepreneur.”

Aiden Holstein ’23 designed the DryStorm Balaclava for skiers and snowboarders in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, which includes a filter surrounded by pima cotton that keeps moisture off the skin. The product’s unique layers significantly reduce the frequency of the face covering getting wet and cold, especially around the mouth.

On March 17, Holstein placed fourth at the Midwest High School Pitch Competition hosted by the University of Wisconsin Whitewater, earning a $100 Amazon gift card.

Community members who are interested in helping coach and mentor young entrepreneurs next school year can email business education teachers Bob Bollweg, bollwegr@nths.net, and Sara Burnett, burnetts@nths.net. Coaches come into the classroom for a short time to provide students with real-world context for a specific industry or business topic, while mentors guide them through the entire process but do not need to be a subject-area expert in the business students are developing.

This news release was produced by New Trier Township High School District 203. The views expressed here are the author's own.