Teen entrepreneurs enter "shark tank"

The next generation of high school entrepreneurs will compete June 21, to win big prizes at the 2013 Teen Entrepreneur Summer Academy (TESA) Idea Pitch Competition. The event is sponsored by Grand Valley State University’s Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation and GR Current, a business incubator for life sciences and emerging technologies in West Michigan.
 
Thirty-nine high school students, making up 10 teams, will spend one week developing a new business concept to address problems facing downtown Grand Rapids. The teams will pitch their solution in front of community stakeholders for a chance to win $1,000 in cash prizes. Each team will have five minutes to pitch their idea, and three minutes of Q&A. Teams must convince the judging panel that their idea is viable and that they are the right people to make it successful.

2013 TESA Idea Pitch Competition
June 21
2-3:30 p.m.
Grand Valley’s L. William Seidman Center
50 Front Ave., Grand Rapids

The judging panel includes:
• Ellie Frey, director of the Family Owned Business Alliance
• Alison Keutgen, retail strategist at Tiger Studio
• Sam Hogg, venture partner at Open Prairie Ventures
• Felix Pereiro, business department head at Grand Rapids Community College

This event is free and open to the public. RSVP at http://tesa2013.eventbrite.com

For more information, contact J. Kevin McCurren at Grand Valley’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, at (616) 331-7582.