'Thrown to the Wolves' Competition Challenges Students to be Innovative
JONESBORO — The Delta Center for Economic Development at Arkansas State University will host the third annual “Thrown to the Wolves High School Innovation Competition” at 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Thrown to the Wolves will take place in Centennial Hall on the third floor of Reng Student Union. This event is open to the public and offers the opportunity to watch high school students compete for cash prizes and scholarships.
“We invite the community to join us in celebrating the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit of these bright young minds, and we look forward to seeing the innovative ideas that will shape the future. Don’t miss out on the chance to support the next generation of innovators and leaders,” said Andrea Allen, executive director of the Delta Center.
Modeled after the television show “Shark Tank,” the competition challenges teams to pitch their innovative solutions, explain how their products work, outline their go-to-market strategies, and present their business and marketing plans.
The competition consists of two rounds. In the first round, student participants will present an elevator pitch to a panel of three judges.
The judges for the first round will be Dr. Rajesh Sharma, associate professor of renewable energy at A-State; Amy Turnbull-Weegram, manager of manufacturing client services at Arkansas State University; and Lenore Trammell, chief administration officer at Big River Steel.
The top three teams will advance to the final round and endure intense questioning from judges. The audience will also get a vote and one team will win the title of "Pack Pick" and be recognized for their efforts.
The judges for the final round will be Christy Valentine, manager of academic and philanthropic programs at Hytrol; Kristi Pulliam, owner of Ktizo Coaching and Consulting; and Manu Nair, founder and CEO of AceOne Technologies.
This year’s competition features teams from The Academies at Jonesboro High School, Midland High School, East Poinsett County High School, Paragould High School, Cross County High School, and Walnut Ridge High School.
Each member of the top three teams will be awarded a $500 A-State Scholarship, cash prizes, free workspace to develop their ideas, and additional opportunities to support their innovations.
This event is made possible by their sponsors: Entergy, Jonesboro Unlimited, Arkansas Manufacturing Solutions, Solutions Group, Big River Steel, and Hijinx.
