The results of the first-ever Future Founders Pitch for Good Middle School competition are in!
Our first-ever 100% virtual program for Chicago middle school students, the Pitch for Good Challenge brought together young problem solvers, leaders, and changemakers who have an idea to help solve the problems people face every day.
From May 15 – June 15, participants navigated a series of self-guided lessons teaching them about ideation, customer discovery, and prototyping. Throughout these lessons, students built and refined their ideas, and ultimately shared them via 90 second video pitches, which were reviewed and scored by a panel of judges from Chicago tech company ActiveCampaign.
ActiveCampaign’s Founder & CEO Jason VandeBoom is the latest addition to the Future Founders Board of Directors. As part of their corporate partnership with Future Founders, 14 employees representing each of ActiveCampaign’s offices in Chicago, Indianapolis, Sydney, and Dublin reviewed student submissions and provided feedback to these young innovators. Future Founders is so grateful for Jason and ActiveCampaign‘s ongoing commitment to our students and Chicagoland community.
After combing through all the fantastic pitches showcasing a broad range of amazingly innovative ideas, the team of judges ultimately selected our three winners: Malia Johnson, Princess Alexander, and Sophie McCarty. Read on to learn more about these three, and the ideas that earned them their victory.
Malia Johnson 6th Grade, Dixon Elementary School Founder of Healthy T: A wearable tech device that monitors heart rate and displays stress levels.
“I love to invent. My dream is to grow up and be an entrepreneur. I like to think of things that can help people. I love to be creative! Participating in this challenge was fun because I was able to do everything I love to do.”
Princess Alexander 8th Grade, Chicago Virtual Charter Founder of Key Find: An app that helps you locate your lost keys.
“I know for a fact that everyone is an entrepreneur because everyone has the ability to create. An entrepreneur is a helper, a hero, and a giver. It all starts with one idea, and that could come from you.”
Sophie McCarty 7th Grade, Mark T. Skinner West Classical School Founder of Links 4 Life: A teen-focused nonprofit/charity review site.
“It can be really challenging to know that dreams you are pursuing could fail, but the knowledge you gain from trying new ideas is invaluable.”
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