'Shark Tank' for teens: The stakes are high for these Volusia High School entrepreneurs

DELTONA — It’s not everyday teenagers become entrepreneurs. But on Wednesday, students in Volusia County Schools had an opportunity to put their business plans into action.

High school students who have taken entrepreneurship courses participated in the second annual “Shark Tank” style districtwide pitch competition at the Center in Deltona led by the district and the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship.

Either individually or in a pairing of two, 19 students from four different high schools — DeLand, New Smyrna Beach, Seabreeze and T. Dewitt Taylor — presented business ideas to a panel of live judges from local businesses and chambers of commerce including but not limited to NASCAR, Launch Credit Union, CareerSource Volusia/Flagler/Brevard, the Hispanic Chamber of Central Florida, the DeLand and Greater West Volusia Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Port Orange South Daytona Regional Chamber, and the Daytona Regional Chamber of Commerce.

Students’ ideas were widespread. Judges learned about a gourmet hotdog shop, a trendy jewelry store, a dog-walking service and a flavored sunflower seed startup — just to name a few.

But after two rounds of presentations and judging, Arianna Tilley, a sophomore at Seabreeze High School, was named the first-place winner. The 16-year-old earned a scholarship prize of $1,500 and a guaranteed spot at the NFTE’s regional tournament in Miami on May 15.

Tilley pitched “Hair so Slick,” an edge control hair-care styling product that stays clear, sticks for 24-hours, and uses natural oils to increase hair growth. According to her presentation, Tilley hopes that this product will radiate confidence among Black women nationwide.

Upon winning, Tilley said she “surprised herself” by exceeding her goals at the competition.

“I’m actually very excited,” she said. “And I know my mom is going to be very excited.”

Tilley also said meeting with the judges was helpful because they reinforced the importance of maintaining eye contact and a personal presence during their presentations.

To prepare for the next round of competition in Miami, Tilley said, “I’m going to do the same thing I did for the past week, which is practice twice a day.”

What is the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship?

The Network for Teaching and Entrepreneurship, a New York City-based nonprofit, helps young people develop an entrepreneurial mindset through curriculum coursework and youth pitch competitions, according to program director Daniel Williams.

“(We help them develop) a set of soft skills, but also those durable skills needed that a lot of employers say they’re looking for young people to have … critical thinking, problem-solving, the ability to be creative, the ability to adapt, the ability to be flexible, communication,” Williams said. “These are all things that are literally the foundation and woven into the curriculum to help young people not just learn business on paper but also practice being business in the real world.”

Williams has judged about 10 youth competitions over the years. He said when listening to presentations, he is looking for business plans to articulate a problem and highlight a solution.

He hopes that by participating in Wednesday’s competition, Volusia students will know they have options to succeed, even if the economy and workforce look unpredictable.

“I want young people to, one, take away opportunity,” Williams said. “But, two, I want them to be confident. I want them to have that opportunity to get up, be nervous, have those nerves, but finish something. One of the hardest things for young people to do: public speaking. So I love when young people get that opportunity to practice that early.”

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Seabreeze sophomore wins "Shark Tank" style district pitch competition