For a third year running, the Civil War Shark Tank—an undergraduate business plan pitching competition based on the Shark Tank television show—brought a fun entrepreneurial twist to the traditional rivalry between Oregon's premier public universities. This year's event was held on Friday, April 24, and took place in Austin Hall, the recently completed new home for Oregon State University's (OSU's) college of business. This was the first time OSU has hosted the event.
The evening commenced with a one-minute elevator pitch session open to any student attending the competition. Eleven students presented their business ideas to the judges, competing for that quick-pitch session's $250 prize. Next, it was on to the main competition in which two UO ventures—Thrift Swap, a clothing exchange service, and Smarter Marketing, a consulting company—challenged each another and the three OSU teams. Each team presented their ideas and then tackled questions from the judges" panel.
This year's winning team was Fused Machines—an OSU startup that makes a specialized tool head for 3D printers. OSU junior Nathan Fuller received $1,000 in prize money and a guaranteed berth at this year's Willamette Angel Conference.
For the competing teams and the students in the audience, the annual event provided a chance to test the strength of their ideas and receive feedback from the seasoned entrepreneurs and business people on the judges' panel. According to UO Entrepreneurship Club president Katie Breeden "17, who competed in the elevator pitch session, everything about the event inspired her to reach beyond her comfort zone.
“Some contestants have never even pitched before and have accelerated their idea in a matter of weeks to be showcased in this event. Students have entered industries that I wouldn't have thought possible at our age," said Breeden, who is also a student in the college's Business Honors program. “At Shark Tank, I get to witness students like me put their best foot forward and be courageous."