20150429 youth startup competition slideshare upload

Lansing Area Youth Startup Challenge 4.29.2015

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LANSING AREA ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP (LEAP) 2015 YOUTH STARTUP CHALLENGE

by Howard T Spence


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The Lansing business community rallied behind our middle school and high school students in the greater Lansing area to encourage them to develop skills in innovation and entrepreneurism.

A special thanks to the Lansing economic area partnership (leap) and business sponsors and scholarship award donors in the 2015 Lansing youth startup challenge!


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INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF INNOVATORS AND ENTREPRENEURS

• Bob Tresize, President of LEAP, is as comfortable in his role of motivating youth to be the next generation of business persons as he is in meeting with CEOs of Fortune 500 Companies to encourage them to Invest in the Greater Lansing, Michigan Area!

• Thanks Bob! Thanks LEAP!


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Innovation and Entrepreneurism in the Schools

• A special thank you and recognition to the dedicated teachers in our middle schools and high schools in the Tri-County Lansing region who spent many hours in the classroom and beyond working with our young students to help them formulate their dreams and ideas, learn good basic business skills, and develop simple marketing and business plans.

• These special educators instilled in our young people the confidence to present their ideas and innovations in a structured, organized, and hopefully persuasive manner which will be the basis for business acumen and success in the future!


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Entrepreneurism Training in the Schools

Pictured is Kelly Williams, Entrepreneurism Instructor in the Dewitt, Michigan School District. Several of her students had winning exhibits and business proposals in the 2015 LEAP Regional competition.

Ms. Williams is about to take ten of her students to Anaheim, California to compete in the National Startup Competition for students! The trip is funded in part from profits from an ongoing viable business project conceived and implemented by a couple of last year’s Dewitt students who proposed and started a high school grill and meeting place to sell coffee at Dewitt High School.


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THE JUDGES WERE IMPRESSED FOR SURE!

Many thanks to our volunteer judges of the competition at both the County and the Regional levels of competition!

Pictured are four volunteer Judges from the community who donated their time to work with LEAP to make this competition a success!

The kids at this level were well prepared and Really could sell their ideas and products!


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Over $10,000 in Cash Prizes and Investments Were Awarded to Students

Twenty different Business “Teams” of One to three Students Competed in the 2015 LEAP Regional Finals


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The Startup Competition Began at the County Level

Many student teams developed their business innovation ideas in local high schools and Competed at the County Level as a First Step towards the Prizes

and Recognition at the LEAP Regional Startup Competition

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The Goal? The Second Annual LEAP Regional Youth Startup Challenge Competition Held in Downtown Lansing at the Lansing Center on April 29, 2015!


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I Enjoyed the Eaton County Youth Startup Competition In Delta Township Held at LCC West Campus in March


Some of the Innovations and Business Plan Proposals of the Kids at the Eaton County Level were Phenomenal! I was so impressed that I decided to Attend the Final Stage of the Competition at the Startup Challenge Held at the Lansing Center!

Not every Great Idea or Business Plan was entered at the Regional Level, but there were certainly many “winners” at the County level!

Entries in Eaton County came from Charlotte Public Schools, Bellvue Schools, Maple Valley Schools, Grand Ledge Schools, and Potterville…


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Making Money in Business with Innovative Use of New TechnologyThe World changes… Technology changes… Sometimes young people are more aware of the evolution of technology than the older generation…

One of the entries at the Eaton County Startup Competition level which did not get entered at the regional level was a proposal from a young man from Charlotte to purchase a Drone with camera to use to monitor crop conditions for some local farmers.

His business plan and marketing plan was well thought out and he wanted to invest about $1000 in a commercial grade drone and then market the services to his neighbors through his local farm bureau…


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Two Students from Potterville were Pitching an Athletic Training Camp for Younger PlayersMany new businesses develop from life experiences of the innovators and entrepreneurs. These two young men were already busy trying to organize and set up a football training camp for middle school students and young high school players…

While Mark Dantonio probably does not have to worry too much about competition from this new startup in the near future, these kids will probably be “winners” because of their looking at the possibilities for making money in the athletic training services area.

I hope their proposed business does better than the Potterville football team did last year…


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Building and Selling Cajons!This young man from Charlotte made great use of his Latino background and culture to decide to build Zenritmo Cajons.

Cajons are musical instruments that are percussion instruments which act somewhat like drums or Congas.

He already has taken orders for his product and is starting to see his business take off…

This innovation and entrepreneurial effort won this young man second prize and “muchos dinero” at the Lansing Regional Startup Competition in Lansing on April 29!


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Abby’s Apparel – Take an Old Idea and Make it Work TodayOne of my personal favorites from the Regional Startup Competition was Abby’s Apparel. These two young ladies at the middle school level took an old business concept – selling “gently used and refurbished clothes” – and gave it new life with an enhanced marketing approach and concept.

Look at those smiles! These young ladies could sell oil to the Saudis!

Their business plan was very polished and well thought out. Buy used clothes cheap at Good Will or other low cost locations, repair and maybe restyle, then sell for $10 to their friends and neighbors.

Yep… Lovely, Friendly Eaton County kids… From Maple Valley schools!


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Use technology and Aggressive Marketing to Make A Business Take Off!Abby’s Apparel uses social media to make their product available to potential customers, and even will seek out and do customized clothing to meet needs or desires of customers…Someone has clearly made an “invest-MINT in training and working with these two young ladies!Yeah, the mints in the fancy handout packages were designed to influence the judges with sweet tooth issues… ;-)


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Innovation adds Great Value to Low Cost Ingredients!This couple is also an entry from Eaton County. They left the Regional LEAP Startup Competition with some big money..

Their innovation or idea? Simple… Starter plants growing in bio-degradable packaging (newspaper planter pots) that can be planted easily without repotting.

Maybe this is something that derives from what they learned in a science class in their high school? I think they are seniors at either Grand Ledge HS or Charlotte HS… Kudos!


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THE LEAP REGIONAL STARTUP COMPETITION ON APRIL 29, 2015

A busy, fun day for serious young business owners or professionals determined to be “winners” in even tough markets!


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Bob Tresize Started the LEAP Youth Startup Competition by Speaking to the Young Innovators and Business

People About How they Could Help Shape the Future of Our Lansing Region and Our Country


So How Are You Guys Going to Make Money? What Problems Do You Anticipate Having to Solve to Make Your Businesses Work?


Yes, Microsoft Started in a Garage As Somebody’s Idea …


You Guys Rock! Now Go Out there and Show the Judges Your Innovations and Business Plans!!


Rushing out to Face the Judges and Explain Innovations and Business plans

FEATURED BUSINESS INNOVATIONS AND STARTUP CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS



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SOME OF THE INNOVATIONS AND BUSINESS PLANS PRESENTED AT THE YOUTH STARTUP CHALLENGE

A Snapshot of What Some of these Kids Came Up with in the Competition for the Cash Awards Provided by the Sponsors… Their Proposals Showed a Lot of Thought and Ingenuity! Wish I had more Time to Talk to All the Kids!

A COLLAGE OF PHOTOS FROM THE STARTUP CHALLENGE


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So What is Your Idea, and How Will You Make Money?


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We Redesign, We Repair… We Make YOU look really Good!


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No Problem. We Sell a Lot of Things! Want a Used Book?


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We Are Going to Make Lots of Money Before We Get to High School. We Can Cook! We’re From Leslie, Michigan…


The Biodegradable Newspaper Retains Moisture in the Root Areas… The Seeds Are Very Cheap, and the News Paper for the Root Boxes is Practically Free!


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Yes I Participated in the First Competition Last Year… I Make Tee Shirt Designs, and I Also Make Tattoo Designs. I Want to Become a Tattoo Design Artist!


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Happy to Represent Eastern High School! Yes, Black Lives Matter… My Friends Like and Buy the Tee Shirts I Design!


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Artistic Talent Can Translate Into Commercial Dollars!

Yes, I am Sure it Will Make a Lot of Money…



I am Heading Off to College. I Want to Start a Business Dealing With Athletic Activity and Health and Exercise!


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Did You Hear That? Do You Really Think That Will Work?


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“SHE,” the Designer of Women’s Basketball Uniforms, Was the Overall Grand Prize Winner in the 2015 LEAP Startup Competition…


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I Do Love to Bake… My Friends All Like My Products. I Have a Special Recipe!


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Yes, We Already Sell Some of These Gabbi’s We Make to Our Friends in Middle School… These Are Our School Colors… What Color Do You Want?


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Are You Sure About That, Mr. Tresize?


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Thanks, Mr. Tresize… I Will Remember That. That Makes Some Sense…


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That’s a Very Good Idea… How Much Money Will You Need to Start That Business? Here’s Something Else to Think About…


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Yeah… Good Idea… I Think That Will Work!


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I Am Off to Northwoods U, But I Want to Eventually Open Up An Indoor Sports Center… It will Be Big… Cost Maybe $250,000 to Build… But I Will Be a Winner!


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Yeah, I Will Make Lots of Money! I Already Sold Some. They Don’t Take Me Long to Make. You Want to Buy One? Bet You Have Good Rhythm …


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As You Can See From My PowerPoint®, I Have Already Thought About That… My Passion for this Business Will Make Me Be a Success!


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That is a Really Good Idea… Smile into the Camera and Explain How You Thought of That!

I Bet You Win Something!


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The Product and Start Up Costs Are Very Small… The Profits Will Be Very Large!


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So Yes, You See, There is a Big Demand for these Really

Nice and Inexpensive Clothing Items Here in

Lansing…

This Will Help People Live Better and Cheaper!


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The First Place Winner at the LEAP regional Startup Competition was a company team which designed and marketed athletic clothing especially for females.

Apparently the major market has not yet begun to produce and market basketball outfits especially for young women!


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So Yes, You Are Definitely a Winner. I Guess Your Family is Very Proud of You!


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Congratulations! Impressive!! I Guess That Check Is All Profit?


Thanks to the Lansing Economic Area Partnership for The Hard Work Every Day to Attract New Businesses and Opportunities to the Greater Lansing Area – Including Eaton County!

I Am Proud That I Was Involved in Getting Eaton County to Become a Part of the LEAP Economic Development Activity Here in Mid-Michigan and the Greater Lansing Area…

Let’s Get More Kids Involved in Business, Innovation, Dreaming, and Marketing. We Need All Options for Our Next Generation Including Factory Work, Skilled Trades, Professions and Services…


Can’t Wait Until Next Year’s Competition! I Hope More Schools – Like Waverly, Sexton, Everett, East Lansing, Holt and Even Okemos Get Involved in this Startup

Competition! And Maybe More Minority Kids Can Be Encouraged to Become Innovators and Dreamers and Business Persons Too?

20150429 youth startup competition slideshare upload

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