The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
LET’S HEAR YOUR BRIGHTEST IDEA
High school students give business pitches in FlexFactor competition
Lorain County high school students participated in the FlexFactor competition Feb. 26 where they stood in front of panelists and gave presentations on products they would like to turn into businesses.
Students from the Lorain County Community College Early College High School program gave their pitches in the lobby of the Ben and Jane Norton Culinary Arts Center, 1005 N. Abbe Road in Elyria.
“I really like what the students were able to do,” said Carlos Delgado, college and career program specialist at LCCC, who worked with the students throughout the process and served as one of the panelists for the event. “They had to go through the curriculum and the program put on by NextFlex, a consortium of companies out of San Jose, where students created a product that uses NetFlex’s flexible hybrid technology, to solve problems they have experienced in their lives.
“They then had to come up with how the product could become a business.”
Delgado said the students went through a pretty extensive process.
"I think we did a good job selling the product." — Joel Rodriguez, 15, a freshman in the Early College High School program
“They had to do a lot of research on the application of the product,” he said. “They looked at how they would use it, if there was a market for it and also how to collect everything into a presentation for today.
“It was a long process from when they first came up with the idea. I was there through the whole thing, so I’m a little biased, but I think the students did a great job today with their business pitches. It’s not an easy thing to do.”
Mike Reese II, 14, a
freshman in the Early College High School program, said his group came up with the idea of the Sleepy Time Snuggles.
“It’s a product that uses the FHE (flexible hybrid technology) to help people sleep better,” Mike said. “It can be sewn into a pillow or blanket and help people get a better night sleep.
“It was pretty tough when we went up there to give the presentation, but I feel like we were able to get all the way through without too many issues.”
Joel Rodriguez, 15, a freshman in the Early College High School program, said he liked the experience.
“I was a little nervous, but I liked what our group was able to do in front of the panelists,” Joel said. “I think we did a good job selling the product.”
Four groups of four to five students participated in the event, and all group members got a certificate for completing the course from the NextFlex program and the U.S. Department of Defense, which is part of the NextFlex consortium.
The top group from the event will participate in the next round of the competition May 4 and 7 against 11 other districts.