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40 middle school kids participate in day long entrepreneurship competition Idea Launch! is a highly interactive and hands-on student startup event. World- class tools, local mentors and judges, and 40 aspiring entrepreneurs from grades 5-8 came together on Feb. 21 to build what may become the next big thing. Tampa, FL, February 24, 2015 – St. John’s Episcopal Middle School partnered with the Entrepreneurship Education Project and The University of Tampa Entrepreneurship Center to link middle school students with leading mentors, tools, and prizes via new student startup workshop “Idea Launch”. Idea Launch was held on February 21, 2015 at St. John’s campus in downtown Tampa from 9:00-4:30. 10 teams spent the day building prototypes, exploring business models, and talking to potential customers with the help of volunteer business mentors from The University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College. “The kids had a great time. Their passion for their ideas and the creativity they possess is infectious,” said Anne Gold, St. John’s teacher and entrepreneurship club advisor. Student team ideas included a pepper spray watch designed by two young men who want to ensure their older sisters are safe away at college, a robotic arm to help amputees, and an anti-bullying campaign organization for schools. The winning team is in the process of perfecting their recipes for a line of healthy, organic dog treats. That team consisted of Alyssa Fair, Sandra Kiggen, and Ava Leigh Siegelbaum. “These ideas are not unrealistic. Tampa Bay native Albert Manero, age 25, recently launched Limbitless Solutions (http://www.limbitless-solutions.org/ ), which builds robotic arms for kids. And, on Shark Tank, we saw 10 year old Ryan pitch Ry’s Ruffery, his dog treat business, which after partnering with Barbara Corcoran is now available for purchase in Target stores nationwide,” says Dr. Eric Liguori, EEP Co-Director and University of Tampa

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Page 1: St Johns Press Release Draft - Copy

40 middle school kids participate in day long entrepreneurship competition

Idea Launch! is a highly interactive and hands-on student startup event. World-class tools, local mentors and judges, and 40 aspiring entrepreneurs from grades 5-8 came together on Feb. 21 to build what may become the next big thing.

Tampa, FL, February 24, 2015 – St. John’s Episcopal Middle School partnered with the Entrepreneurship Education Project and The University of Tampa Entrepreneurship Center to link middle school students with leading mentors, tools, and prizes via new student startup workshop “Idea Launch”.

Idea Launch was held on February 21, 2015 at St. John’s campus in downtown Tampa from 9:00-4:30. 10 teams spent the day building prototypes, exploring business models, and talking to potential customers with the help of volunteer business mentors from The University of Tampa and Hillsborough Community College.

“The kids had a great time. Their passion for their ideas and the creativity they possess is infectious,” said Anne Gold, St. John’s teacher and entrepreneurship club advisor.

Student team ideas included a pepper spray watch designed by two young men who want to ensure their older sisters are safe away at college, a robotic arm to help amputees, and an anti-bullying campaign organization for schools. The winning team is in the process of perfecting their recipes for a line of healthy, organic dog treats. That team consisted of Alyssa Fair, Sandra Kiggen, and Ava Leigh Siegelbaum.

“These ideas are not unrealistic. Tampa Bay native Albert Manero, age 25, recently launched Limbitless Solutions (http://www.limbitless-solutions.org/), which builds robotic arms for kids. And, on Shark Tank, we saw 10 year old Ryan pitch Ry’s Ruffery, his dog treat business, which after partnering with Barbara Corcoran is now available for purchase in Target stores nationwide,” says Dr. Eric Liguori, EEP Co-Director and University of Tampa Entrepreneurship Professor. Liguori adds, “The important take away from events like this is that it’s ok to try, ok to fail, and important to keep working hard to make your dreams come true. That’s the message we wanted to ensure the kids walked away with, and it’s the same message we want our college entrepreneurship students to also understand.”

About St. John’s Middle. St. John's is an Episcopal Parish Day School in Tampa, Florida, that serves nearly 600 boys and girls in grades K4 through 8.

For more information contact Dr. Eric Liguori ([email protected]; 813-257-3600) or Mrs. Anne Gold ([email protected]).

Page 2: St Johns Press Release Draft - Copy

Event Photos:

Above: Students Gabe Perdomo and Mackey Jones build their pepper spray watch prototype.

Below: Students Lilly Lowry, Sarah Dann, and Abby Burden work with UT and HCC mentors on their portable scanning device prototype.