Seven teams of students from five high schools in the Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey regions competed in a business pitch challenge hosted by Firstrust Bank and the Philadelphia Eagles.

Drafting Candidates, Assigning Coaches

Thirty-five business pitches were initially submitted for consideration, That field was winnowed to seven, whose budding businessmen and -women were represented at the Firstrust Bank Club at Lincoln Financial Field.

The finalists attend five area institutions:

• Cherokee High School, Marlton, N.J.
• Cherry Hill High School West
• Springfield Township High School, Erdenheim
• West York Area High School, York, Pa.
• William Penn High School, New Castle, Del.

To prepare for the challenge, each team was given a coach from Firstrust and the Philadelphia Eagles. These mentors offered individualized advice and support to develop the initial submissions for the final competition.

The Pitch-Line Judges

The pitches were judged by a panel of executives from Firstrust and the Eagles:

• Richard J. Green, executive chairman of Firstrust Bank’s Board of Directors
• Frank Gumienny, SVP, chief operating officer of the Philadelphia Eagles
• Eagles wide receiver Jason Avant
• Ariana Minella, Implementation Lead for EVERFI

The Products, Their Creators, and the Outcome

The young tycoons presented innovative ideas, backed by comprehensive research. The commercial entities they envisioned were:

• The West York team pitched JersEaZe, a line of customizable fan-wear designed to stay current even as a professional athlete changed positions or team affiliations
• Team Springfield High School subdivided its entry under three separate ideas:
  • Permit Frenzy, a driver’s ed app
  • Biz Kids, a resource to inspire business ventures for youngsters (lemonade stands, cookie-baking services)
  • Chic Masks, a makeup removal face mask product
• Rent a Rover, a dog-rental firm proposed by the creative types at Cherokee High School
• Tidal Waves Rentals, a beach-activity rental service devised by the future tycoons at Cherry Hill West
• Bearcat Manufacturing, a William Penn High School idea for supplying branded custom products like water bottles and rally towels

Chic Masks vaulted its Springfield High School entrepreneurs to the top spot, scoring them $2,500 for their school.

The remaining awards were as follows:

• Second place: West York High School $1,500
• Third place: Springfield High School (Permit Frenzy), $1,000
• Fourth-place recipients of $500 each:
  • Cherokee High School
  • Cherry Hill West High School
  • William Penn High School

In addition to school funds, each presenter received swag packs from Firstrust and the Eagles. And perhaps most memorable, they toured the Eagles’ locker room and trod the hallowed turf of Lincoln Financial Field for themselves.

Organizer Reactions

The judges and event organizers were universal in their praise of the participants, their professional presentations, and their imaginative business ideas.

Firstrust Bank

Richard J. Green, executive chairman of Firstrust Bank’s Board of Directors, said, “We’re fostering the next generation of business leaders through Entrepreneurs Game Plan and equipping them with the mindset and skills necessary to navigate an ever-changing world with creativity, resilience, and a sense of purpose.

“The young entrepreneurs that presented their business ideas in the pitch challenge showed passion and professionalism that excites me for their future as leaders in our community.”

Philadelphia Eagles

Frank Gumienny, CEO of the Philadelphia Eagles, said, “We are grateful to have partnered once again with Firstrust Bank, an organization that shares our commitment to providing young students in our community opportunities to succeed and thrive.

“Entrepreneurs Game Plan has equipped these young professionals with the foundations of entrepreneurship and inspired them to think creatively through innovative learning programs. These students have bright futures ahead of them.”

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Click on the image below to view a photo gallery from the event.

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Video throwback to the 2022 edition of Entrepreneurs Game Plan: a pitch for a new game, Paddle Battle.