{"id":73436,"date":"2025-12-17T08:42:24","date_gmt":"2025-12-17T13:42:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/?p=73436"},"modified":"2025-12-17T08:42:25","modified_gmt":"2025-12-17T13:42:25","slug":"inventanooga-showcases-student-pitches-from-future-innovators","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.utc.edu\/news\/2025\/12\/inventanooga-showcases-student-pitches-from-future-innovators\/","title":{"rendered":"Inventanooga showcases student pitches from future innovators"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"A

Students examining a booth during Inventanooga in the UTC Engineering and Computer Science building. Photo by Angela Foster.<\/p><\/div>\n

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga hosted its fourth annual Inventanooga competition on Thursday, Dec. 11, where middle and high school students pitched ideas to innovation leaders from the Chattanooga area.<\/p>\n

Dr. Subin Im, the George Lester Nation Professor of Marketing in the Gary W. Rollins College of Business, served as a co-director for the event alongside STEM School Chattanooga teacher Kyle Carrasco.<\/p>\n

The day\u2019s agenda included tours of the biomechatronics and robotics labs in the UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science led by Dr. Erkan Kaplanoglu, director of the Biomechatronic and Assistive Technology Lab, professor of mechatronics and head of the Engineering Management and Technology Department.<\/p>\n

Students also received pitch coaching from Im, Max Fuller Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship Director Mike Bradshaw, and Clarence E. Harris Chair of Excellence in Entrepreneurship Thomas Lyons.<\/p>\n

\u201cEntrepreneurial mindsets and skill sets should be cultivated as early as possible because they help younger students become creative problem-solvers in college and in their careers,\u201d Im said. \u201cWhile most universities host pitch events for college students, opportunities for middle and high school students to pitch their ideas are rare\u2014even though creativity often flourishes at a younger age.<\/p>\n

\u201cInventanooga gives younger students the chance to develop and pitch creative ideas, building creative confidence and leadership skills that can drive economic development through innovation in Chattanooga and across Tennessee.\u201d<\/p>\n

The competition culminated in elevator pitch sessions and the awarding of scholarships to the winning team.<\/p>\n

Lyons congratulated the participants on their efforts and on the \u201cfabulous\u201d pitches he saw throughout the day.<\/p>\n

\u201cA big part of our mission is to help our students develop their entrepreneurship skills,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s very exciting to see students getting started at a much younger age to begin to develop those skills.\u201d<\/p>\n

One of the groups Lyons and others saw was \u201cCuttacon\u201d from the STEM School. Seniors Quinn Holland, Brayden Payne, Chloe Hixson and Michael Bain developed an idea for a website that resells Styrofoam to crafters for secondhand use rather than sending it to landfills.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe talked to Signal Mountain Public Works\u2019 Louis Brill, who is one of the recycling managers,\u201d Hixson said. \u201cHe gave us a great insight into how much Styrofoam is a bigger problem than people think. We were looking more into Styrofoam and thought it was a great option because it\u2019s honestly pretty low cost for us to be able to cut it down and clean it up.\u201d<\/p>\n

Bain added that the coaching helped them prepare for their presentations.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got lots of feedback on it, saying how well it\u2019s been put together and how we have a really strong start,\u201d he said. \u201cThe moment we started presenting, we were presenting facts and data. We all presented well. None of us messed up. We were all very clear, authoritative and excited to be here.\u201d<\/p>\n

Recipients of the executive pitch competition scholarship can choose to attend the Rollins College of Business or the College of Engineering and Computer Science.<\/p>\n

\"\"

The A.R.C. team, from left to right: Allie Shaw, Annalise Ely and Elizabeth Arnold.<\/p><\/div>\n

Seniors Allie Shaw, Annalise Ely and Elizabeth Arnold from STEM School Chattanooga received scholarships for their A.R.C. presentation.<\/p>\n

\u201cEssentially, it is for a flood-prone area\u2014such as the East Ridge area, to name one locally\u2014and it essentially sits in your yard to help redirect water,\u201d Shaw said. \u201cWe know it\u2019s a product that already exists on the market, so we created it while looking at other alternatives.<\/p>\n

\u201cA.R.C. has some specific benefits, such as being really simple and easy to clean. It has multiple layers that allow water to flow continuously without clogging.\u201d<\/p>\n

The group said that this project was personal to them because of the recent flooding in the East Ridge community.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe first started by going to homes and asking about how the flood affected them,\u201d Ely explained, \u201cand how recently Chattanooga, especially, has been facing so much more flood damage and just flooding in general. We were trying to find a solution for specifically residential homes.\u201d<\/p>\n

They said it felt \u201csurreal\u201d when they were announced as winners.<\/p>\n

Shaw plans to attend UTC to study finance. Ely said receiving the scholarship \u201cis going to encourage it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Both agreed that it was a good opportunity to learn more about the University.<\/p>\n

Dr. Robert Dooley, dean of the Rollins College of Business, congratulated participants in the Benwood Auditorium.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you had a really enjoyable time here in this beautiful facility in the College of Engineering and Computer Science,\u201d Dooley said. \u201cWe run a number of pitch competitions in the College of Business and know it\u2019s always daunting to stand up in front of a bunch of judges and present to them. I heard you all did an outstanding job.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Kumar Yelamarthi, dean of the College of Engineering and Computer Science, also congratulated the students and explained how engineering is intertwined with their projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I were 20 years younger and trying to compete with you all, I\u2019m absolutely going to lose,\u201d he said. \u201cYou all did a terrific job of identifying a problem, trying to make connections with different concepts, and coming up with pictures of how you add value. That is what engineering is all about: creating value.\u201d<\/p>\n

Members of the executive leadership team attended to view student pitches, as did Rollins College of Business Associate Dean Kathleen Wheatley.<\/p>\n

This year was Carrasco\u2019s final year serving as Inventanooga\u2019s co-director. He is moving into a new role after being involved with the event since its inception.<\/p>\n

\u201cHis dedication and passion have been instrumental in the growth and success of Inventanooga,\u201d Im said. \u201cWe truly appreciate his contributions. He will be greatly missed.\u201d<\/p>\n

Carrasco stressed the importance of Inventanooga and other events that promote critical thinking.<\/p>\n

\u201cI hope you guys recognize how monumental it is that you\u2019re presenting your own original ideas,\u201d Carrasco said. \u201cNot only are you doing that, but you\u2019re doing that in front of strangers and people who are coming from all over Chattanooga. The fact that we\u2019ve got middle and high school here, speaking about your own ideas, is a huge accomplishment.\u201d<\/p>\n

Learn more<\/h4>\n

Visit UTC<\/a><\/p>\n

Gary W. Rollins College of Business<\/a><\/p>\n

UTC College of Engineering and Computer Science<\/a><\/p>\n

How to apply<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga hosted its fourth annual Inventanooga competition on Thursday, Dec. 11, where middle and high school students pitched ideas to innovation leaders from the Chattanooga area.<\/p>\n

Continue Reading 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