Brock biz whizzes make Monster Pitch
Five minutes to make an impression.
That’s the length of time four Brock University students had to present their business ideas to a panel of judges for the Dragons’ Den-style sales pitch competition Monster Pitch. All for the chance to win a startup funding package valued at $15,000.
Held at First-Ontario Performing Arts Centre, Monday’s event provided four finalists the opportunity to receive feedback from established names in the world of business that included commentary on project numbers and evaluations of public speaking abilities.
Among the lineup of judges was Dragons’ Den’s Jim Treliving who has sat on the panel for the past four Monster Pitches. For Treliving, the competition provides a venue to hear new ideas coming from young entrepreneurs.
“There are so many great ideas out there, and not just tech. There are all different sorts of business opportunities for kids completing university.”
The diversity of the four presentations showcased the array of opportunities to which Treliving spoke.
The presenters included: fourthyear business student Dalton Steele for his real-estate photography editing service Homesharp; third-year business Olivia Poulin for her at home pet care business Olivia’s Pupadise; and third-year biological sciences student Ryder Damen for his co-op private aviation app Hundred Dollar Burger.
It was third-year general arts student David Lisi who left the best impression, and won out for his scarf brand Bundle.
For every scarf sold the company donates a scarf and financial aid to people in need and community organizations
that work to support them.
Although Lisi’s brand was built around a similar model to Toms Shoes, he emphasized his want for the company to have a larger impact.
“I want to do more than just hand someone a scarf,” said Lisi. “I want Bundle to also help organizations that work with people in need, like Community Care.”
The competition, organized by the student club Brock Innovation Group, the Goodman School of Business and the business incubation facility BioLinc, left Lisi with an array of emotions.
“I was pretty nervous,” said Lisi about presenting to the judges. “I preferred the more personal aspect of the question portion, but I was happy with how it went.”
Lisi plans on using the $15,000 startup package to launch a marketing campaign to push his brand and also hire a web designer to rework his company’s website.