Georgian Court’s School of Business & Digital Media held its first annual Lion’s Den Pitch & Innovation Competition on Friday, April 28, 2023.
Five high school student teams from Manchester Township and Toms River South High Schools pitched their business ideas to address at least one of the Sisters of Mercy’s Critical Concerns. Many teams pitched ideas that addressed the environment, while others addressed immigrants and women.
The competition’s judges, Michael Clay, Ram Hegde, Stacey Kavanagh, and Theodora Sergiou, represent 50+ years of experience in or supporting franchising and entrepreneurship. We are truly grateful for their support leading up to and throughout the competition.
“Many of our students that integrate business and digital media go on to pursue entrepreneurial careers, and we felt it was important to directly engage high school students who are considering that route,” said Jennifer J. Edmonds, Ph.D., Dean of the School of Business & Digital Media. “We decided to develop a program that is unique to Georgian Court, open exclusively to high schools students, and focused on the intersection of business and digital media.”
Our thanks go out to Withum and New Jersey Natural Gas (NJNG) for their sponsorship of this competition and for supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs from Ocean and Monmouth County. Gary Azzolini at Toms River South High School and Nick Salvemini at Manchester Township High School, meanwhile, did an excellent job of preparing students for the competition.
- The Withum $2,500 first-place prize went to three graduating seniors from Toms River South who pitched a community resource center to serve underrepresented individuals and immigrants in Ocean County.
- The New Jersey Natural Gas $1,500 second-place prize went to a graduating senior from Toms River South who pitched an environmentally friendly surf and skate-inspired clothing business.
- The Withum $500 third-place prize was awarded to a group of Manchester Township High School freshmen who pitched an eco-friendly jewelry and accessories line with smartphone integration for emergency contact and emergency services notifications.
“The five participating teams were so well prepared and the judges asked hard-hitting questions that you couldn’t have planned for. The event was such a success and we can’t wait to do it again next year!”, said Dean Edmonds.
