By: Bianca Buliga, Digital Marketing Manager
Jaime Casap, Chief Education Evangelist at Google and SEED SPOT Schools Advisor, is an advocate for educating, training, and supporting the next generation of problem solvers. His philosophy? “Do not ask students what they want to be when they grow up. Ask them what problem they want to solve and what they need to learn to build the knowledge, skills, and abilities to solve that problem.”
For the past year, students from all over the country have been formulating solutions to some of the world’s most pressing issues. They’ve been rapidly prototyping solutions, iterating through customer feedback, launching a go-to-market strategy, and defining scalable business models with the help of their teachers and SEED SPOT mentors. The end goal? Pitching at High School Demo Day on Tuesday, May 15th at the Herberger Theater in downtown Phoenix (RSVP here).
But first, student teams needed to jump the hurdle of qualifying for Semi-Finals on Tuesday, April 17th at Galvanize Phoenix. We had an unprecedented 80 applications get submitted from across the nation to compete for only 36 Semi-Finals spots. Applications were scored by a panel of judges based on their completed pitch decks, pitch videos, and branding materials created for their ventures. The 36 teams with the most innovative solutions are listed below:
- Kilo Automotive: Reydan Freitas, Christine Andres, and Colby Cox
- Grammar Ready: Trevor Diep, Garred Keller, Ben King, and Tanner Lattie
- MedEssential: Rhaminah Muniz
- Emission Tech: Alex Divito, Jackson Gray, and Jake Kobert
- Wing Bands: Madi Jo Porter, Seth Mazza, Madison Piper, Tyler Von Ende, and Ben King
- Stable Top: Christine Andres, Colby Cox, Stone Hunter, Leilani Lam, Cole Maxey, and Cole Warren
- ZooTech: Alexander Gonzalez, Leilani Lam, Antonio Zuniga, and Michael Cockerham
- Respect for the Flag: Elijah Graham and Courtney Ruhter
- LexAl: Alejandro Urbina
- Racial ED: Somei Stewart, Jansen Javier, and Carlos Aguayo
- Mobile Foods: Taionna Latimore, Sahra Hussen, and Brianna Erwin
- Reset Press On: Samantha Zazueta and Kamlyn Reed Warren
- Forever Mine: Kaitlyn Coulter and Seth Villeescaz
- Communitree: Raina Romero, Paloma Martinez, and Anna Brunson
- X-Out Suicide: Lizbeth Bernal, Fernanda Veelazquez, and Michael Turay
- Life Prep: Axel Rocha, Grecia Rodriguez, Frank Garcia, Xavier Romero, and David Diaz
- Life Watch: Melissa Carillo, Jaqueline Ibarra, Jhoanna Olivares, and Frank Carbajal
- First Lives: Zitlaly Tapia, Roxana Figueroa, and Brian Martinez
- WANDA: Jose Perez, Jose Payan, Luz Bermudez, and Yahir Chavez
- Triple Valve: Nicholas Miele and Juan Samaniego
- Electric Portable Charger: Kenny Green and Tyler Garcia
- Sprout: Jonathan Horton, Esperanza Paredes, Alfred Swen, and Robert Sunne
- Abuse Out Loud: Brandy Green, Chloe Keyack, and Jared Middlebrook
- Pup Cup: Porter Crandall, Emily Smith, and Tatum Skogebo
- REFU Resource: Grace Morse and Brianna Cavasos
- New Beginning: Paloma Corral, Melissa Vargas, and Brianna Zurfluh
- Trak: Taylor Mohr, Dennis Cloud, Natalie Mendoza, Ben Maloney, and Sammy Delfino
- Seed Pop: Alek Simpson, Ahmad Mujahed, Gabriel Cordova, Aidan Boere, and Jude Jeffries
- Soteria: Hannah Smith, Remington Meyers, Mason Pio, Magan Maxamad, Monique Parker, and Auhsten Reynor
- iBluelight: Alonzo Eley, Aziah Newcombe, Saafir Smelley-Griggs, and Elijah Farrell
- DeerNJ: Shugar Hall, Shauntel Grundy, Jibril Outland, Nicole Williams, and Alia Harris
- Kast: Kiana Shell, Sacoiyah Holmes, Tyrese Parham, and Amani Muhammad
- Recaf: Brianna Munoz, Edgar Diaz, Andrick Coronel, Iran Paez, and Karla Bravo
- Visiting the Past: Gabriela Morales, Alma Escamilla, Jessica Lozoya, and Brenda Saenz
- TechTrade: Sirfraz Shah, Quinten Argiropoulous, and Nicholas Hulston
- Plas-Tech: Alex Cowan, Ben Kort, Jake Longini, and Henry Learner
Congratulations to these 36 teams for their hard work, their ability to think outside the box, and their commitment to making their communities a better place. To the teams who didn’t advance to Semi-Finals, we are still so proud of your willingness to #DreamBig. We hope you continue working on your venture and apply again next year. The world needs more creators and founders who have your relentless spirit!
A quick note about Semi-Finals: student teams will meet at Galvanize Phoenix at 5pm. Students, teachers, and chaperones are responsible for their own transportation and parking, so please plan accordingly and drive safely. From 6-8pm in various break-out rooms, ventures will have just three minutes to pitch using their pitch decks and two minutes to answer questions from their panel of judges. While students can expect light snacks, they should pack their own water, snacks, and dinner (especially if they have dietary restrictions).
On Wednesday, April 18th (the day after Semi-Finals), the top 15 Finalists for Demo Day will be announced via email and on the SEED SPOT Schools website. Selected Finalists will be pitching their ventures at the Herberger Theater on Tuesday, May 15th for a chance to win cash prizes. This event is open to ALL community members – you are formally invited to cheer students on, give them lots of high-fives, and get inspired by their unbelievable ideas for sustainable change. Space is limited, so reserve your ticket here and spread the word!
Your students could be pitching at High School Demo Day next year!
Bring SEED SPOT to Your School
Related articles about SEED SPOT Schools:
>>“3 Ways to Bring Entrepreneurship into the Classroom”
>>“High School Demo Day: Where Students Create a Better World”
