Allergenius Baking Company Wins Pitch Night

Last night, was Pitch Night for the Business INCubator Program at our high schools. Allergenius Baking Company from Wheaton North won the $2,500 Investment Award grand prize sponsored by the Student Excellence Foundation. Students Maddie Cook, Josh James, Anya Ranjan also received a $100 cash prize for each team member.

Simply Clean from Wheaton Warrenville South received $1,000 for the Best Incubation Award from the Wheaton Chamber of Commerce. Students Jack Cooper, Carson Grebe, Sulayman Pandit, Gray Pauli also received a $100 cash prize for each team member.

Hole in One Auto Spa from Wheaton North received $500 for the Best Incubation Award Runner-Up from the Wheaton Rotary. Students Briggs Cecil, John Henry Henson, Matthew Ueland, Declan Kane also received $100 cash prize for each team member.

At the completion of the Business INCubator course, similar to the hit TV show Shark Tank, student groups compete for investment funds from the program’s Board of Advisors or “sharks”. This video offers a great overview of this innovative program.

Last night, the top six teams from North and South competed in front of the Board of Advisors and a crowd of parents, students, community members and maybe even future investors! Interested in experiencing Pitch Night? View the slide deck with all the student presentations and live feeds on our Facebook page.

Last school year, Wheaton North and Wheaton Warrenville South High Schools began offering students an authentic, collaborative entrepreneurship experience through the Business INCubator course.

Student groups have the opportunity to create and fully develop their own product or service. In addition to classroom instruction, entrepreneurs and business experts serve as volunteer coaches and mentors, guiding student teams, enhancing the experience by providing advice in foundational business topics like marketing, finance and more.

The course is offered in completely renovated rooms with flexible furniture, soft seating, tables of varying height, TV monitors with connectivity at each table station and inspirational quotes by successful entrepreneurs on the walls. Last year’s renovations were made possible by generous, private donations from the program’s Board of Advisors, all entrepreneurs who are parents and/or District 200 residents.

Thank you to everyone who made this incredible program successful!