Entrepreneurs Pitch Innovative Market Solutions

CMU’s Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship hosted the Make-A-Pitch Competition Monday, December 6. The competition allowed students with aspirations of starting their own business to practice their professional pitching skills and win funding for their ventures.

Students from a variety of different backgrounds and majors competed at the event. Zach Bagbey a senior studying entrepreneurship took home the first-place prize of $1,100 for his pitch “Coyote Cookware.” Zach’s product was an innovative new cookware instrument called “Perfect Pour” that allows consumers to separate spice measurements from within the spice container.

Zach thanked the staff at IDEA Den located in Grawn Hall stating, “They were super helpful in helping me prepare for this event. Having access to the space and the 3D printers in the IDEA Den has helped me so much as I develop a prototype of my product.”

Sophomore, Destiny Taylor, a materials chemistry major, took second place at the event, in addition to winning the audience choice award for her pitch “Math and Mental.” Her proposed business aims to provide low-income students and urban school districts with science lab kits and handbooks.

Many students who competed in the Make-A-Pitch Competition will also pitch their business ideas on April 21, 2023 in the New Venture Challenge hosted by the Isabella Bank Institute for Entrepreneurship.