Level Up Development was pleased to send Alyn Brown, VP of Connected Devices, and Karine Jannetta, Director of Service Delivery to sit on a panel of judges for 2019’s “The Next Launch” competition.
The Next Launch is a business idea competition hosted by the Ron Rubin School of Entrepreneurship at Culver Academies. This year, there were a total of 24 teams from eight high schools across Indiana and Illinois competing for a top prize of $25,000.
Each team was comprised of only high school students who were tasked with presenting their business plans to entrepreneurial & innovation leaders.
To start, each team was given 15 minutes to present their business plan and walk the judges through their product, company, or service idea. As part of their presentation, they also had to explain their intended market and the problem they were solving.
After the presentations, the judges evaluated the strengths and weaknesses of each team. The judges also provided the teams with insightful and actionable feedback on their ideas.
I was really impressed with all of the different ideas and business plans they presented. There was a level of preparedness for a high school competition that was beyond my expectations. All the ideas were well thought out and executed. This was a really talented group of teenagers with some really innovative solutions to real world problems.
— Alyn Brown, Vice President of Connected Devices, Level Up Development
Team Fision Wins the Grand Prize
The grand prize was awarded to a group of high school girls from Illinois. Their solution took an extremely unconventional approach to solve a common problem, the high cost of prescription lenses during a child’s developmental years.
A child’s prescription can go through many changes while their eyes are still developing, particularly through the elementary years.
Because of this, low income families often forgo new prescriptions due to the associated costs. Team Fision’s solution would make prescription adjustments available at a fraction of the cost. Their forward-thinking solution netted them $25,000 to take the prototype to the next level.
I commend the Rubin School of Entrepreneurship for putting this event on and inviting kids from out of state to compete. This was a remarkable event showcasing our next generation’s talent and ideas they have relating to creating social change, increasing energy efficiency, reducing waste and bettering human experiences. It was truly an awakening experience and a quick look towards a better future.
— Karine Jannetta, Director of Service Delivery
Level Up Development is top of mind for judging competitions for innovation and entrepreneurship. Our forward thinking and constant curiosity help us stay ahead of the curve.
We love helping our community and future business leaders. If you have an upcoming event or looking for industry leaders to sit on your panel let’s grab coffee.
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About Level Up Development: Since 2010, our drive for better communication and better plans for faster results has made us a trusted technology partner to enterprise businesses in the medical, outdoor power equipment, entertainment, transportation, education, manufacturing, agriculture and security industries. Our passion for emerging technology has made us a thought leader in product creation in the digital era.
