Three sections of students from Herricks’ Virtual Enterprise class competed in the Sixth Annual Virtual Enterprise Business and Entrepreneurship Conference, hosted by Long Island University on Oct. 25. The day started off with inspiring keynote addresses from two remarkable business leaders, Marie Moody, CEO of Stella & Chewy’s natural pet food company, and Helen Avery, the editor of Euromoney magazine.
Invigorated by the buzz of the day, students set out to participate in the preliminary round of the Elevator Pitch Competition. Among the 93 virtual enterprise companies/competing schools, Herricks demanded that the competition take notice.
Herricks seniors Richard Lee, CEO of the “Bam-Board” foldable, electric longboard company; Priya Shah, CEO of the “Eleventh Hour” app-based self-care company; and junior Kiruthiga Shanmugananthan, CEO of “Kairoads” mobile storefront provider, took to the Tilles Center Main Stage to present each company’s one-minute elevator pitch. Rapt with enthusiasm, all three company members came together to cheer on their respective CEO’s.
As judges tallied the results, students took part in multiple breakout sessions focusing on financing a business, personal branding/leadership, social media marketing, and fundraising.
Long Island University then posted the top nine finalists who would compete in the final round of the Elevator Pitch Competition. Herricks, breaking the mold, now had two competing students advance to the final round. Priya Shah from “Eleventh Hour” and Kiruthiga Shanmugananthan from “Kairoads” would be invited back to the stage for the final round of the competition. With the stakes raised even higher, after all nine teams pitched again, Priya Shah was announced as the winner of the Sixth Annual Elevator Pitch Competition, winning the appreciation of her peers, the competition of the day and $1,000 for her company/class.
The Herricks groups were accompanied by Business/Virtual Enterprise teacher Liam O’Brien. Special thanks go to Rose Lavelle and Claude Commisso for their help in overseeing the event.
Submitted by Herricks Public Schools
