SNELLVILLE - Gwinnett County student entrepreneurs braved the Shark Tank Thursday, collecting a total of $1,750 in donated funds to help grow their budding businesses.
The annual pitch competition, based on the popular TV show of the same name, encourages local students to create a self-sustaining business complete with business plans, financial forecasts and marketing strategies. They then pitch their businesses to a room full of judges comprised of local business leaders who grant them seed money based on the strength of their presentations.
Each of the judges donated their time and $250 to the competition which has been taking place in the city for more than a decade.
“The City of Snellville believes in creating a bond between our schools, our business community and the city itself to bolster student entrepreneur efforts which, in turn, fosters a healthy business environment for all residents,” said City Manager Matt Pepper. “The competition brings together the best of our young student entrepreneurs and our business community to create a thriving business environment.”
Student businesses ranged from cakes in a jar to crocheted stuffed animals.
Here’s a list of what was awarded:
Zuri Jackson - Styled By Z (Brookwood High School) - $425
Oluwaferanmi Ogunmefun - Anmi Jadore (Grayson Tech) - $100
Monty Robinson - Legends of the Minigame (Brookwood High School) - $300
Fazzilet Salewala – AdTract (Brookwood High School) - $100
Christopher Martin - Young Dedicated Hustlers (Grayson Tech) – Mentorship at The Print Lounge and The Wing Suite
Mina Torab – FoodCycle (Brookwood High School) - $325
Antwan Williams II – Transcendence (Grayson Tech) - $100
Simi Sodipe - Blissful Delights (Brookwood High School) - $100
Holly Nguyen - Cozy Crochet (Brookwood High School) - $300
The judges for the event were:
Sara Jones – The Print Lounge
Kelly McAloon – Experience Snellville
Sara Beddington – Walton Gas
Morgan Spivey – Walton Gas
Rodney L. Alexander – Piedmont Eastside
Kartisha Henry – The Wing Suite
Amanda Desena – Powell & Edwards