On Wednesday night at LSU’s Patrick F. Taylor Hall, the air was thick with ambition. 21 young entrepreneurs gathered for the Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge’s fifth annual Community Pitch, with the contestants seeking their share of prize money and, naturally enough, glory.
The entrepreneurs pitched a variety of ideas, Shark Tank-style, to a panel of judges. Each was awarded a share of a $25,000 pot of seed money to help start their budding business, with the winner going on to take part in a national competition later in the year.
The venue, LSU’s Patrick F. Taylor Hall, was suitably high-tech.
Deborah Sternberg, Chair of Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge, said the students had spent months preparing for the evening. The skills they learned, though, would go on to serve them far beyond just the one night.
“It’s fantastic,” she said. “It’s what the students work all year for. Not only do they develop a business and business plan, but it’s also an opportunity to practice public speaking.”
Before the judging began a range of speakers took to the stage, including East Baton Rouge Parish Mayor-President Sharon Weston Broome.Â
“One of my top priorities as Mayor-President is to support young people,” she said. “Because, and we hear this time and time again, young people are the future.”
Weston Broome cast her glance across the students in the audience.
“For you, the sky is the limit,” Weston Broome said.
Students had three minutes to make their case before facing follow-up questions. Though incisive, the judges were much more polite and enthusiastic than their TV network counterparts (and rightfully so, given the contestants were, after all, teenagers).
James Boudet came in second with Washed, a pressure washing business.
The ideas covered everything from social media platforms to pressure washing. Puns were both encouraged and plentiful: special kudos must go to Allie Duplantis, who made the most of her last name for her houseplant subscription service, Sunshine & Succulents (Duplantis. Geddit?).
Several themes quickly emerged, including an emphasis on both healthy living and online marketplaces of varying descriptions. Unsurprisingly for teens whose existence is, and always has been, saturated in internet culture, the degree of tech-savviness on display was high. As someone later pointed out, for them, even Myspace is ancient.
Leave a Reply