Uncharted Learning Congratulates Winners of INCubatoredu National Student Pitch Competition in Chicago

High School entrepreneurs won $30,000 in seed funding for two winning startups

CHICAGO, July 14, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Uncharted Learning, a national nonprofit committed to helping students develop resilience and problem-solving skills through entrepreneurship, congratulates the two winning teams, PharmAssist from Westlake High School in Texas and TuffToy from The Harker School in California, as well as finalists that participated in the 2022 INCubatoredu National Student Pitch Competition. 

"The National Pitch event showcases the ingenuity and creativity of student entrepreneurs from across the country," said Christy Scott, Executive Director of Uncharted Learning. "It also demonstrates the benefits of entrepreneurship education for students – who will carry with them beyond high school the real-world experience of developing and pitching viable and sustainable solutions to real-world problems – and for the rest of us who could benefit from those solutions." 

Five high school teams from California, Texas, Ohio, and Illinois competed for $30,000 in seed funding in the National Pitch Competition. The teams were selected from a pool of 56 student video submissions from across the US and Spain. 

TuffToy from The Harker School in San Jose, California, will receive $20,000 to continue the development of their solution: the first durable dog toy with an interchangeable plush exterior providing high entertainment with no mess. The PharmAssist team, from Westlake High School in the Eanes Independent School District outside Austin, Texas, also received funding. For their solution – an app that makes people feel more confident and safe when taking medicine – the team received $10,000 in funding. Rounding out the finalists in this year's National Pitch Competition were Nusic, of Alamo Heights High School in Texas, MatchedUp, of Lakota West High School in Ohio, and SimplyNav, of Lake Forest High School in Illinois. 

The INCubatoredu National Pitch Competition is the flagship event at the annual Uncharted Learning Summit. Students from around the world submit video entries to compete and pitch to investors for real funding at this 7th annual event. These students develop their products, business models, and investment pitches through the Uncharted Learning INCubatoredu curriculum, which includes problem-solution identification, customer and idea exploration, and authentic pitching opportunities. 

Congratulations to the participating team members and their INCubatoredu teachers and mentors (listed below): 

TuffToy 
The Harker School, CA 
Teacher: Michael Archeatel 
Mentor: Thomas Deng 

PharmAssist 
Westlake High School, TX  
Teachers: Jeff Nixon & Lindsey Stokes 
Mentor: Gary Anderson 

MatchedUp 
Lakota West High School, OH 
Teacher: Kevin Keen 
Mentor: Ronnie Pate 

Nusic 
Alamo Heights High School, TX 
Teacher: Cathy Klumpp 
Mentor: Nathan Sharp 

SimplyNav 
Lake Forest High School, IL 
Teachers: Joe Pulio & Phil LaScala 
Mentor: Corey Holmer 

About Uncharted Learning  
Uncharted Learning is a not-for-profit organization with a mission to kick start students for life by equipping them with real-world skills. Its programs offer authentic, rigorous entrepreneurship experiences to students in 350 schools across the U.S., Australia, Guatemala, Spain and Switzerland. The company helps students discover their passions, strengthen their capabilities and create their own futures. Since 2013, Uncharted Learning's year-long INCubatoredu program has prepared students to succeed in a changing global economy. 

SOURCE Uncharted Learning