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A home-schooled student from Marietta received the top prize in the Junior PioBiz Competition at Marietta College.
Grab-a-Gig is Sophia Parlin's proposal for an online community connecting youth musicians to individual venues that want live music.
Grab-a-Gig cultivates musical expertise and leadership opportunities for teenagers by hiring them out so that they can gain professional experience performing in the community.
Parlin will receive $250 and a free three-credit hour class at Marietta College.
In addition to Parlin, students from Belpre, Marietta and Fort Frye high schools competed on April 13.
Also placing were:
¯ Second, MED B, a QR code allowing someone to get access to important medical information that you or any first responder might need in a moment of crisis. Med B will only have information that the customer believes is important for them to have. Avery Varner, class of 2025, Allison Mullins, class of 2025, and Katie Woodford, class of 2024, Belpre High School. $200.
¯ Third, Squaretilla, an alternative production method to the traditional round tortilla production. It simply produces square tortillas instead of round tortillas which results in no dough waste. Jacob Ferrier, class of 2023, and Javier Cancio, class of 2023, Belpre High School. $150.
¯ Fourth, Summer Breeze, a water-repellent coating that allows snow and ice to be removed easily from concrete surfaces. Evan Masselli, class of 2024, and Caleb Caldwell, class of 2024, Marietta High School. $100.
¯ Fifth, The Phoenix Mat, a gaming mouse pad covered in a polyurethane material that is self-healing and includes a spot for wireless charging of phones or mice. Blake Church, class of 2024, and Luke Coyner, class of 2024, Belpre High School. $50.
The competition, sponsored by the corporate sponsors of the Entrepreneurship program at Marietta College, consists of identifying a problem that is worth solving and describing a new product or service that solves the problem. The proposed solution must potentially lead to the establishment of a for-profit or non-profit organization.
This year's competition was delivered in poster format with the key components being:
¯ Problem: A clear description of the problem.
¯ Customer Segment: Who has this problem? Define the characteristics of your typical customer.
¯ Why is the problem worth solving?
¯ Existing Alternatives: How do your target customers currently solve the problem? Describe the nature of the competing products or services.
¯ Solution: A clear description of your product or service and how it solves the problem.
¯ Unique Value Proposition: What is the advantage of your product or service over the alternatives? Why should people buy your product?