President’s Business Challenge
The President’s Business Challenge (PBC) promotes and supports student entrepreneurship by providing Valley Christian High School students the opportunity to form a company and learn the requirements necessary to pitch their startup idea to Silicon Valley venture capitalists. Gaining experience in teamwork and collaboration, students learn to innovate, problem solve, and develop creative solutions into a business opportunity.
FACTS ABOUT PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS CHALLENGE: • 59 students enrolled in 2015-16 • 16 teams (two teams from Andrew Hill High School) • 12 speaker series, including three “fireside chats” • 16 mentors (one for each team) • Four rounds of pitches: mock, formal, semi-final, and finalist pitch • 12 judges from prominent roles and influence in the Silicon Valley
OTHER HIGHLIGHTS FROM THIS YEAR: • Over 80 junior high and high school students attended the “Play-a-thon” event, where they had a chance to discover creative new uses for the latest technology.
In the 2016-17 school year, the program will be expanding with the creation of the Business and Entrepreneurship Initiative at the high school and new course offerings, including the following: • Three sections of Intro to Entrepreneurship with the President’s Business Challenge program integrated into the course • Two sections of Intro to Life Calling and Life Calling in the Work Place Bible class with Financial Stewardship integrated into the course • The PBC Incubator Program, which is the advanced course in the President’s Business Challenge, is designed for winning teams who plan to take their business idea to the next level and form the company
• Students took a trip to the SAP Center, where John Tortora, COO of Sharks Sports and Entertainment and current VCS parent, spoke about sports management. • Students Katherine Ho and Ashley Phuong were chosen as semi-finalists in the “Diamond Challenge for High School Entrepreneurs” competition. They were awarded $1,000 in prize money and were invited to attend the final pitch at University of Delaware, where they competed against teams from all over the world.
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