Catawba Valley Community College recently hosted its first Shark Tank competition for local high schools, bringing together teams from Hickory High School and Challenger Early College High School to compete for cash awards on May 22.
A takeoff on the popular ABC reality show, CVCC’s Shark Tank is sponsored by the L.B. Lane Family Foundation and Alex Lee. CVCC worked with local high schools to conduct individual school competitions, with winners competing head-to-head in the finals held at the college. Teams of students pitched their business ideas to a panel of local business leaders.
In the finals, a Hickory High team which had developed a mobile application called Untwisted tied for first place with a Challenger High School team which had developed a plan to open a restaurant and social club called Club Elemental.
The third-place finisher was a team from Hickory High School that developed a mobile application called Watcha, a social media site that promoted student interaction and community within high schools.
Nick Bolick of Hickory High’s Untwisted team commented, “Life is all about choices. Stepping out of your comfort zone. Shark Tank was a great experience for me, because it allowed me to step into the business world and get a feel for the actual work force. I encourage all students to participate in this activity.”
