The Elevator: Seattle Academy’s Inaugural Inter-School Business Competition lifts off!

 

Written By: Mariah Smith-Gentry '09 and Sydney Parno, Upper School Innovations Teacher

Saturday, May 23rd, 2023 marked a moment in history. The Elevator: Ready to Launch, hosted by Seattle Academy, started the tradition of a high school-level Business Plan Competition in the Puget Sound area. 

Starting a high school-level competition was always the goal when the Innovations Department realized that there was a gap in the market. If students wanted to participate in a business competition, the only options were to either travel across the country or join DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America). It was an opportunity to create something focused on creativity, design thinking, and working with ambiguity. The goal was to encourage students with a variety of backgrounds and perspectives to identify an issue that they see in the world and solve it with a product or service designed by the team.

The first Business Plan Competition was last year and began in a single classroom of only Seattle Academy students. The SAAS students had a blast participating – and it was such a success, they asked if it was possible to invite students from other schools. The goal was to create an innovative competition that would allow students from local schools to collaborate and compete while striving to solve real-world problems. 

Thus, The Elevator: Ready to Launch was born, and 34 students attended from five schools including Seattle Academy, Annie Wright, Bishop Blanchet, O’Dea, and Overlake. 

Unlike typical business competitions, the teams were made up of students from different schools. They were randomly assigned, and each team had only three hours to design, research, and craft a slide deck for their team’s business idea. We wanted students to take on a challenge while learning to work with new people with unique perspectives. 

The day kicked off with a keynote presentation by Brennen Smith, VP of Technology at Ookla. He highlighted the importance of creating a pitch presentation that builds trust and features compelling storytelling. To assist with the process, mentors from each school and industry professionals volunteered their time to help answer questions and provide guiding feedback.

After the work time, students pitched to a set of first-round judges. These individuals provided scores and feedback to teams. The top three teams with the highest overall scores advanced to the final round. The final round of judges included seven local entrepreneurs and industry professionals.

During the final round of judging, first and second place were awarded to: 

• 1st: RAAS | An automatic lawn mowing robot designed for senior citizens who struggle with keeping their yards maintained. The students involved were: Audrey Draper of Seattle Academy, Eva Jin of Annie Wright School, Grant Williams of O’Dea High School and Harrison Finestone of O’Dea High School.
• 2nd: Blade Buddy | A robotic lawnmower with an innovative app that strives to reduce injuries caused by lawnmowers. The students involved were: Jacob Newman of O’Dea High School, Jordan Ross of Seattle Academy and Mallory Brainerd of Annie Wright School.

The winning team will be engraved on the trophy that will begin the legacy for years to come! All students had a great time problem-solving and working together. Considering how successful this inaugural year was, it’s safe to assume the years to come will be just that much better!

To see all teams presentations, visit this link