MARQUETTE, Mich. (WLUC) – A “Shark Tank” style event occurred Friday at Northern Michigan University.
The Big Pitch and the Outdoor Pitch were part of the Peak25 professional development conference.
For both contests, entrepreneurs pitched their ideas live to a panel of judges for a chance to win money. The NMU College of Business puts on the Big Pitch to encourage creativity and entrepreneurial action in students. The Outdoor Innovation Pitch features Michigan-based startups focusing on outdoor recreation. Judges included business professionals from around the state.
One student presenter says pitching your ideas to people can be scary, but it doesn’t have to be.
“I understand the difficulty of pitching to people,” Sergiy Blackwood, second-time Big Pitch contestant and presenter of Oxygen Flow Monitor by AIRS, said. “You know, you think you’re just not made for it, or you think you’re born a certain way, and that’s what in terms of this, but it’s really a skill. All these things are skills, and you can learn it. If you practice, even by yourself or with a few people you know who would be okay with you pitching to them – that still works.”
Winners from The Big Pitch:
- The Big Pitch Winner: Adam Hop – Verdant Vessels
- Trade Show Winner: Christopher Anderson – RecyKol Technologies
- Business Model Canvas Winner: Adam Hop – Verdant Vessels
- Crowd Favorite: Christopher Anderson – RecyKol Technologies
Winners from the Outdoor Innovation Pitch:
- Grand Prize Winner: BRCĒ – Tanvi Gadamsetti and Madhav Aggarwal
- Make it in Michigan Award: Morphite Boards – Ryan Pelletier
- Crowd Favorite: Valor Skincare – Susie Grace
Outdoor Innovation Pitch grand winners win up to $50,000 in investment from the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund.
Make It in Michigan Award winners get up to $5,000 in product development services with Centrepolis Accelerator.
Copyright 2025 WLUC. All rights reserved.
