The presentations will happen Thursday at the Park City Eccles Center at 6 p.m. and the public is encouraged to come to vote for their favorite.
Invest Nest is an entrepreneurial pitch competition for high school students. High school student Savannah Tary is the student director of the program.
“We have students on Thursday night who are competing for the $10,000,” she said. “They will be making a presentation and presenting it in front of a panel of judges and the public will get to vote on who has the better business concept or business idea.”
Thirty-four students involved in the PCCAPS Business Solutions program entered the competition; the final eight were narrowed down from two previous rounds. Tary said the finalists’ projects run the gamut.
“Some of the business ideas range from a workout studio to clothing lines,” she said. “One of the good projects that I kind of like for a business idea is a nonprofit. She makes bracelets for the Cancer Society. So, those projects all range from nonprofit to profit. And all those students have been working with mentors who kind of match their idea, so that way, they can work better on their business.”
On Thursday, finalists will have five minutes to make their presentation and then the judges will have two minutes to ask questions. Then the judges and the public will vote on who should receive the $10,000. There will also be cash prizes for the second and third place finishers.
At least half of the prize money must go toward winners’ business ventures and the other half can be saved for college.
The winner also gets to go on to the state competition where there is a lot more money at stake.
“At that state competition, they'll do that same presentation and get the same questioning period. But at the end of that, it goes into everyone who made it to round three and one at the end will win $40,000 for their business idea.”
The prize money for this round has been put up by the Park City Angels. The public can also contribute to increase the prize money online with the Park City Education Foundation.
