Mount student wins Elevator Pitch competition
Kevin Robinson, a second year Bachelor of Business Administration student at the Mount, placed first at the Elevator Pitch Competition organized by the Centre for Entrepreneurship Education and Development (CEED) held on October 19.
The Elevator Pitch Competition, which was a large component of CEED’s Fresh Ideas 2009 youth entrepreneurship conference, required students to submit a short video (length of an elevator ride with a CEO) of their best business pitch. From these submissions, six finalists were selected to present a two minute elevator pitch live to a panel of judges at the Fresh Ideas conference. Among the judges were Dr. Bruce Firestone, Ottawa-based professor, entrepreneur and founder of the Ottawa Senators. All six finalists had the opportunity to have a one-on-one mentoring session with Dr. Firestone to further discuss their ideas.
Kevin, a Cambridge, Nova Scotia native, presented the idea for a business he developed last summer called The Helping Hand. “The business was an accumulation of many ideas,” he says. “I wanted to start my own business with low start-up costs and unlimited potential.” Services included landscaping, moving, maintenance, or any other jobs requiring physical labour for an hourly rate of $15. Kevin hired employees at $10 per hour, resulting in a profitable business.
By expanding his network and establishing Dr. Firestone as a business contact, Kevin is well positioned for his future endeavours. He plans on becoming a Chartered Accountant after completing his Bachelor of Business Administration degree at the Mount. The Helping Hand is currently on hold as he focuses on his studies. “I plan to come back to it when I have the time to put my heart and soul into the business.”