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real world classroom
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pitching for cash STUDENTS COMPETE FOR THE BEST IDEAS
A
fter months of preparation, the CEED/U.S. Bank Pitch-Off Contest was held in December. The event, in its second year, had 28 teams from four colleges and divisions across campus competing for prize money sponsored by U.S. Bank. Over 50 students,
ranging from a Ph.D. candidate to a senior from Highland High School, pitched their entrepreneurial ideas in a 10-minute presentation to a panel of 21 judges The winning team this year came from a student team proposing a self-cleaning
STUDENTS IN THE stock market
baby changer station for public restrooms. The all-female student team presented
This year’s class participating in the D.A. Davidson
a working prototype of the automated device and a compelling pitch to take
Student Investment Program earned $4,732 with a
it to market. The team won $2,000 for the best idea. They also won $250 for
return that was well above the S&P 500. Earning
the best prototype, built by the College of Technology under the direction of the
a return of 29.3 percent, the team performed the
team. In total, nearly $10,000 was awarded by U.S. Bank to winning teams.
sixth best among the 20 participating schools.
Open to all students on campus, this U.S. Bank ‘pitch-off’ event, organized by the
Since joining the program in 2005, ISU students
College of Business’s Center for Entrepreneurship and Economic Development
have earned more than $20,650 in returns.
(CEED) program, helped incentivize young entrepreneurs to polish up their
As part of the program, D.A. Davidson gives
eventual application to the statewide $100,000 Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge
$50,000 to 20 different universities for
held each March in Boise.
students to gain hands-on investing experience.
from campus, business and civic organizations.
