Bright Minds and Brighter Ideas: Inside the First Ever AwardX High School Pitch Competition

This past November, LaunchX hosted the first-ever AwardX competition, a groundbreaking pitch competition that brought together high school students with a shared passion for entrepreneurship and innovation. The competition was a testament to the power of problem-solving, creativity, and determination within the younger generation.

From impactful ventures tackling climate change to innovations in social media safety, AwardX demonstrated that the future of entrepreneurship is in capable hands.

Brains, Grit, and Big Ideas from the AwardX Stage

The level of ingenuity presented at AwardX left judges and organizers in awe. Adam Choe, one of the judges, remarked, “The student ventures were truly impressive this year – so much creativity and passion! Seeing this next generation of entrepreneurs with such drive and vision is inspiring.”

Echoing his sentiments, Guillaume Catella of the LaunchX team shared, “I was truly impressed by the sheer amount of creativity embedded into each project and by the eagerness to tackle some of the biggest problems the world is facing. Events like this remind us that the future of entrepreneurship is bright.”

Forest Richter, CEO of LaunchX, added, “The quality of the pitches was fantastic. Pitching is hard, and I say this as someone who gets paid to teach founders how to pitch. I specifically asked our team to clip some of them so we could use them in our curriculum because I thought they were done so well.”

Dream Big, Support Bigger: Teamwork in the LaunchX Ecosystem at its Best

While AwardX celebrated individual excellence, it was the sense of camaraderie among participants that truly shined. Rachel, a LaunchX team member and judge, reflected on the spirit of collaboration: “Chatting with the finalists, I was so moved by how they supported each other during the pressure cooker of a pitch competition. The impact-based solutions they brought to the table were inspiring.”

Finalist team Hawkeye, creators of a teen social media safety system, thrived through their collaborative efforts. When teammate Serena discovered she’d need to deliver the pitch solo, her three teammates rallied around her. “Everyone wrote documents breaking down their parts so I could present confidently,” Serena shared. “They trusted me and supported me through everything.” (Teammate Benson’s response: “You’re giving us too much credit, Serena,” to which she further explained: “They told me to go to sleep to rest and stayed up until 1am preparing.”) Although they didn’t win, the team celebrated their success as a runner-up and looked forward to refining their product with the feedback they received.

Spikey Takes the Crown: Meet the Safety Game-Changer

Ultimately, the top honor went to Abbie, founder of Spikey, a drink spike detection keychain designed with youth and safety in mind. Balancing the demands of school, Abbie used her passion for filmmaking to submit a polished, pitch video presentation that resonated with the judges and audience alike.

When LaunchX CEO Forest announced her win, Abbie was ecstatic. “Winning AwardX is amazing, [and] for me, it’s all about staying true to my mission,” she said. With her $5,000 prize, she has established an LLC, obtained an EIN, and is already preparing pop-up events at UC Berkeley and Vanderbilt to distribute her product.

Abbie reflected on the challenges of entrepreneurship as a young founder, sharing, “You would be surprised how hard it is to put a product on a website when you’re not 18!” Undeterred, she has filed for a patent and is actively working toward trademarking her innovation.

Changing the World, One Pitch at a Time

One of the most compelling aspects of AwardX was the students’ commitment to meaningful, impact-driven ventures. Hailey Moore of the LaunchX team shared, “It was also so incredible to see how everything was impact focused in agriculture, climate change, fighting sexual violence, and change the world for the better.”

The idea for AwardX was a pitch itself by Thomas Clapper, head of marketing at LaunchX. “The idea of AwardX just fit,” he says. “The 2024 AwardX International Competition was a massive success, with nearly 1000 registrations.” Beyond just a pitch competition; the program became a celebration of innovation, determination, and community. As Forest Richter aptly summed up, “I genuinely forget they are high schoolers because they are so competent.”

With AwardX 2024 in the books, LaunchX has set a high bar for what’s to come. “It is already exciting to begin planning for the 2025 competition,” Thomas says. With a local competition already launched in East Africa, we anticipate more regional expansions, startup pitches, and lots of exciting young potential this year!

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What’s next? Read about our first regional AwardX competition based in East Africa.