The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest launched the first of its three high school pitch competitions Feb. 26 in Hammond.
The competitions offer a venue for Northwest Indiana's high school students to pitch their business concepts. Students present their innovative business ideas to a panel of expert entrepreneurs and community leaders. Participation is open to high school students who reside in La Porte, Porter, Lake, Starke, Pulaski, Jasper and Newton counties.
The competitions offer students the opportunity to strengthen their entrepreneurial skills and advance their business concepts toward launching a profitable business.
The next competitions will take place:
- March 14 – Northwest Indiana High School Pitch Competition (Westville)
- April 15 – Innovate WithIN Region 4 Finals (Hammond)
Each competition is free and open to the public to attend. Learn more here.
The pitch competitions are the lead up to the STARTedUP Foundation's Innovate WithIN competition. Ten students from Northwest Indiana will join 50 other teams to compete in the state finals in June.
The application period for the 2025 Innovate WithIN competition is closed, but teams already are preparing for the regional competitions.
Last year, two teams from the Northwest Indiana region were among 10 at the state Innovate WithIN finals. SafetyGlow, a team from Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, won second place overall, while Wringo, a team from Munster High School, won the People’s Choice Award.
