Cincinnati, OH. (Dec. 20, 2022) — Square1 and St. Xavier High School have selected the teams for their X-Squared High School Pitch Competition Plus on January 27, 2024. Selected from over sixty applicants from nearly two dozen schools, the final thirty-five teams will meet with Square1 to develop their final pitches prior to the competition.

These teams consist of 76 students from nine high schools around the Greater Cincinnati area: Covington Catholic High School (one team), DePaul Cristo Rey High School (one team), Ignite Institute (one team), Notre Dame Academy (four teams), Ursuline Academy (four teams), Beechwood (two teams), Harrison High School (nine teams), Saint Xavier (twelve teams), and Ross High School (one team).

The final event will consist of two rounds of competition, followed by a keynote speaker, Jeff Berding Co-CEO FC Cincinnati. The thirty-five selected teams will present an eight-minute pitch for their business idea to a panel of judges. Student teams will be divided into two divisions: those whose schools offer entrepreneurship classes (ENTPs) and those whose schools do not (non-ENTPs). The three best ENTP teams and the two best non-ENTP teams will be selected to pitch their ideas again in front of all teams and judges to compete for first and second place prizes. Between rounds, students will attend a professional development workshop hosted by St Xavier centered on the value of a stand-out resume and being well prepared for a college and job interview.

The first place team will receive $1500 cash team prize and the second place team will receive $500. Both teams will also receive a matching team college scholarship should each member choose to attend one of the participating colleges: Miami University, University of Cincinnati, University of Dayton, Mount St. Joseph University, Northern Kentucky University, Thomas More University, and Xavier University.

Earning first place was team BLK Beauty from Walnut Hills High School, consisting of students Cydney Emery, Hannah Ware, Jada Scott, Sidney Brown, and Bene Gyan. All receive full-tuition scholarships to Thomas More University with their pitch detailing an innovative hair company design. “BLK Beauty captured the audience and knocked their pitch out of the park,” says Schneider. “They were energized and passionate about making their NEXT experience a success from the beginning of the program months ago.” Team BLK Beauty appeared live on FOX19’s morning show to discuss their pitch and participation in the Square1 program on Monday, March 27, 2023.

Square1, where ideas start and grow, is excited to announce that the 4th Annual NEXT High School Pitch Competition will be open to ALL area high school students, not just those enrolled in the NEXT program. Members of the community and businesses are invited to witness the region’s top high school innovators pitch their ideas virtually this year on April 27^th at 11:30 am.

Three teams of stand-out students are selected by a panel of judges for top honors in the competition and are offered scholarships to Thomas More University. The first-place team can take advantage of full-tuition scholarships, second place receives $25,000 scholarships, and third place earns $22,000 scholarships. Last year’s first-place winning team, MatterhornONE, included students Alex Woods, Carson Floyd, and Colin Wilmhoff of Beechwood High School. The three students were offered full-tuition scholarships to Thomas More University as a result of their pitch which detailed an innovative, single-person tent design serving a social purpose. Runners up in last year’s contest, team Fast Fashion, consisted of Holy Cross High School students Kennedie Welliver and Annalee Grout, who pitched a men’s quick pick-up accessory store. Team WaitIN took home third place in the competition for their pitch about solving staffing issues for small restaurants by providing plug-and-play ordering software. Team WaitIN was made up of Theo Helton and Steven Weil from Covington Catholic High School.

Entrepreneurs are fueled by innovation and defined as creators of small businesses. The number of small businesses is substantial, standing at 33.2 million in total and making up 99.9% of all businesses in the United States. Notably, they serve as a major player in the growth of the economy, generating nearly half of all workers in the country at 61.2 million in 2022.

It is unsurprising to assume that some will inevitably fail. In fact, only about 40% of small businesses will be successful due to many not having access to consistent capital. Because of this harsh reality, entrepreneurship education is proactive as it teaches not only the professional skills needed to start a business, but how to mitigate risks and maximize opportunities long-term to be sustainable.

Hundreds of high school students are getting a crash course in innovation and entrepreneurship in the hopes of winning scholarships to Thomas More University through Square1’s NEXT business development program. NEXT is a youth development program that utilizes innovation and entrepreneurship skills in preparing the next generation to lead, create, and succeed in competitive academic and business environments. Schools looking to engage with Square1 can do so through the Jan. 31, 2023, deadline for the upcoming contest.

This year’s program saw more than 30 schools and 600 students participate in Greater Cincinnati’s region-wide innovation and work skills development program.

Yet another nonprofit, SQUARE1, has been impacted by the Coronavirus. SQUARE1 had its semi-final event slated to occur on March 12 at Gateway Community & Technical College which was canceled based on Kentucky Governor Beshear’s recommendation regarding large events. The Final Next Pitch Event was scheduled for April 3rd is being postponed.