When CNBC contacted representatives for the state of Utah, saying they wanted to feature a school that embodies the entrepreneurial spirit of the state, the spotlight was turned to Draper Park Middle School and its “Shark Tank” competition for young entrepreneurs.
“Out of hundreds of schools, they chose our College and Career Awareness class,” says Draper Park’s Pamella Saltmarsh. “It’s a really big honor for the students, for me, and for our entire District. This is the highlight of my career, for sure.”
Much like the “Shark Tank” TV show where entrepreneurs pitch their inventions to venture capitalists, students in Saltmarsh’s class were tasked with presenting homegrown business plans to a panel of judges. Not only did the students dream up a new product, they also designed their product, built it, and researched revenue forecasts and marketing plans for getting their product to market.
Sixth-grader Brooklynn Putnam was in charge of marketing the “WishWash” hand brush for grooming pets, which doubles as a shampoo dispenser. “I feel like it gave me more confidence,” Putnam says of the experience. “Now I’m not as scared of talking in front of a big crowd.”
Putnam’s team faced off against two others: the JustRight Clothing Company, which designed a “Goldilocks” shirt to keep the wearer warm or cool based on the wearer’s body temperature, and the 2Lit2Sip rechargeable travel mug capable of keeping drinks warm.
The teams gathered at Junior Achievement City in Orem, which sponsors Shark Tank-style competitions. Emceeing the contest was CNBC Senior Business Correspondent Sharon Epperson, and on the judging panel were: the Chairman of Colliers International, Brandon Fugal; Steve Daly, CEO of Instructure; Sandi Hendry, CEO of Minky Couture; and four-time Olympic Freestyle Skier, Ashley Caldwell. The students were able to spend time with local entrepreneurs who helped coach them in the final minutes before their presentations.
“We need more idea people in the world,” says Morgan Brown, Blendyd Studios CEO who coached the 2Lit2Sip team. “Efforts like these get new ideas into the ecosystem to ultimately change our world. I hope students and entrepreneurs remember there is no failure, only lessons.”
Team WishWash was declared the winner with each student receiving a $500 gift card and Minky Couture blanket. Everyone involved said they hope all the students take the experience with them.
“To see 11, 12, 13, 14-year-olds, presenting their business plans, pitching their ideas for a business with revenue forecasts, it’s phenomenal,” says Epperson. “I think about my career as a journalist and being in high school, going to a workshop where I met working journalists at the time and people that I’d seen on TV or I read their bylines. I was like, ‘maybe I could do that.’ And I’m doing that today and I’ve been doing it for over 30 years. So, it’s amazing how this actually works. And it takes community, though it doesn’t work without a strong community.”
Saltmarsh credits the Draper Park community with helping her students achieve their dreams, particularly parents like Maggie Kruse who has been helping with the program for seven years, both in her career and as a mom of Canyons students.
“I think it has showed a real community spirit,” Saltmarsh says. “This is the age when students are really beginning to create their own brand. They’re actually working toward their futures now, and I think they understand that. They know how important workplace skills are. They are learning critical thinking, problem solving, how to work with a team, and potentially they could all be entrepreneurs, who knows?”
CNBC plans to include Draper Park students in their Cities of Success series. Utah is only the third state to be featured in the series after Texas and Colorado.
