AKRON, Ohio — Two Akron students tapped into issues happening in the world to win the Ohio Afterschool Network (OAN) Summer Pitch Challenge.
Nicholas Reese, an 11th-grader at North High School, shared his perception of the world, with his business idea based on everyone not getting an equal shot at success.
His idea, “Three key words: There’s still hope” provides students with one-on-one tutors to ensure students understand lectures, directions and ensure everyone succeeds.
He said with his idea, "everyone gets an equal shot at life, not just those who already have had a chance to taste it.”
Reese partnered with fellow 11th-grader Amaree Clark to film him and edit a 90-second video about the idea, which won the summer pitch competition.
Watch his pitch video in the media player below:
“No one else thought of something so big, they're thinking of a product or invention, I'm trying to change lives you know,” Reese said.
Clark was happy to have won the competition. Both Clark and Reese hope to work in film.
“I didn't expect to win a lot of the time, I’m not really confident a lot of the time in what i do, but like whenever we won all those competitions. I’m like, oh my gosh, like we can actually make it and actually do this,” she said.
The grand prize of the competition was a $500 Amazon gift card, a one-on-one consultation with a successful entrepreneur and a scholarship to participate in Rev1Venture’s Customer Learning Lab, a boot camp for aspiring entrepreneurs.
"Trying times brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, social unrest, and economic recession can make students feel powerless and helpless. However, flexing one’s entrepreneurial mindset – including opportunity seeking, curiosity, adaptability, persistence, and problem solving – can combat feelings of helplessness and help students take positive action," OAN said in a statement.
