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News & Photos
SEED Teams Pitch Prototypes
At the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year, student teams in McDonogh's SEED (Social Entrepreneurship Engineering and Design) Capstone class were asked to identify at least 10 problems related to the ocean or the beach. After determining the pain points, the demographics of those impacted, and whether the problem was worth pursuing through market and empathy research, the teams began to use a human-centered design method to identify the key problem on which they would focus their efforts.
Once the teams developed an idea to help solve their problems, they were provided with an initial round of funding ($50) for research and design. The students created products to tackle a wide range of issues from a UV sensor and app to help gauge sun exposure, to an inflatable protective life jacket to help prevent injuries caused by jet ski accidents, and even a healthy jerky made from an invasive fish species. Next, based on their design plans and months of market research they made a pitch for an additional round of funding. The teams invested that money into further research and development, changing their design based on "investor" feedback, and making plans to bring their products to market.
On Thursday, February 20, in an event based on the reality show Shark Tank, the seven SEED teams welcomed four judges or "sharks" to the Fader Innovation Center to review their ideas and prototypes and determine a final round of funding. The leaders in business and entrepreneurship Beth Dixon, Michele Kaliski, Roger London '78, and Kyle Vaughn '12 listened to the student pitches and asked important questions to ensure teams were thinking about the possible challenges their products would face. After they evaluated each team and provided written feedback on their presentations, the four "sharks" conferred with the SEED teachers Ned Courtemanche and Ashley Fulton-Howard to determine how to split or invest $1,500 among the teams to help them further their product development.
Once the funds are allocated, the teams will enter the final phase of the project. They will perfect their prototypes, continue market research, finalize price points, and create a plan for bringing their products to market, including possible partnerships and marketing strategies. At the end of the school year, the teams will unveil their final products to their "investors," as well as other faculty and students.