The MBA seniors of Mrs. Valdez’s capstone class known as virtual enterprise took their concepts to the next level by advancing onto the State Business Plan Competition in January. This event serves as a podium for young entrepreneurs to best explain and deliver their conceptual products to a panel of judges. 

Throughout the duration of this school year, these students have thrived in the classroom setting of a conceptual business. They have functioned under an office-like environment where they have prepared to showcase a detailed business plan of their ideas at the competition. 

MBA seniors Lucy Bruechert and Amber Appleton presented the competition judges with a counter to today’s bulky technology. Their made up product, Trace It, is a fashionable and customizable tracking device that takes the form of a pin or sticker. It’s light-weight exterior targets young millennials who have an active lifestyle and knack for losing their belongings. 

MBA seniors Justin Stone, Ethan Navas, Andrew Ricks, and Collin Patton teamed up to create and propose their original concept for OTG Nutritional Supplements. An on the go protein tablet that can be popped into a shake, along with a pre-workout infused gummy bear that is quick and easy to consume.

“You have to know your business from the inside out,” says Justin Stone, an MBA senior and co-creator of OTG Nutritional Supplements. “We made sure to practice and prep the entire time for our presentation.” The seniors took pride in being able to prove their knowledge and attention to detail of their businesses. 

“I’m proud that I didn’t rely on the slides to tell the judges what our business was about. I felt very confident and was able to interact with them,” co-creator of Trace It and MBA senior, Appleton said. Reflecting on the competition as a whole, Stone says, “it was a very unique experience, one that not many people get. That alone made it even cooler.” They hope to carry this experience and their newfound sales skills into their upcoming futures. 

If you’re an MBA senior, join Mrs. Valdez’s virtual enterprise class next year to take part in your very own grand pitch!