Ocala, Fla. (November 20, 2014) –Katelyn Alvies and Jordan Brown of Vanguard High School took the first place title for the the “Enter the Shark Tank” Marion County Youth Business Plan Competition. The contest concluded with a final round of presentations on Wednesday night. The five finalists “pitched” their business plans to a panel of judges and a live audience.
The contest is an initiative of the Ocala/Marion County Chamber & Economic Partnership and the Power Plant Business Incubator aimed to “get students thinking and talking about opportunities to start companies of their own locally.”
Eleven teams entered the competition. The first round focused solely on the written business plans submitted. Twenty-nine 9-12th grade students total participated in the contest. Five teams moved on to the second, and final, round.
Teams placed in the following order:
1st Place:
Flex Tech (Biomedical Device)
Members: Katelyn Alvies, Jordan Brown
2nd Place:
Mosaics (Restaurant for Creatives)
Members: Christina Gamero, Kaitlin Gili
3rd Place:
Zoom Into the Future (Entertainment Center for Families)
Members: Brent Delawter, Aaron Solomon, Rachel Thompsen
4th Place:
Taco Rapido (Mexican Food Truck)
Members: Maarten DeHaan, Grant Harriss, Justin Petersen, Whitaker Redgate
5th Place:
Swap-A-Style (Clothing Rental Service)
Members: Xander Lenz, Chase Petry, Alexander Silitch
The first prize winner, Flex Tech, receive $1,000, a one-year Affiliate Membership at the Power Plant Business Incubator, one-year Entrepreneur Level Partnership with the CEP, their team’s story on the cover of two local magazines, and a trophy. Second and third prizes receive trophies and $500 and $250 respectively.
The competition was sponsored by ansleyRDgroup, whose founders, Jason and Stacey Ansley, served as judges along with the following community leaders:
Connie Pendleton – Ocala Business Brokers
Angie Lewis – Angie Lewis State Farm
Rondo Fernandez – Owner of Mojo Grill & Catering Co.
Navroz Saju – President/CEO of the Hotel Development Group
Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn – City of Ocala
See more at: http://ocalacep.com/cep-news/entry/winners-chosen-in-business-plan-competition#sthash.xQSS4sdU.dpuf
For more information on the ansleyRDgroup, visit https://www.ansleyrdgroup.com/.
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