Penguin Shark Tank Competition Set for Thursday

YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio – Youngstown State University’s Penguin Shark Tank, a pitch competition for YSU student entrepreneurs who already have a business or an idea for starting one, is set for Thursday.

The event will run from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. in the Williamson College of Business Administration auditorium. The competition will feature Leonard Fisher, chairman of the board for Handel’s Ice Cream and Yogurt, as the guest speaker and is made possible through a financial gift from the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.

Students will compete for business investments from a pool of more than $10,000, with a top prize in each category. If chosen, competitors will be given five minutes to pitch their idea to the sharks. Presentations must include a budget and how much students are requesting the panel to invest in their businesses.

Fisher will serve as one of the sharks. The others are Barb Ewing, CEO of the Youngstown Business Incubator; Danny Catullo, vice president, ecommerce at PPX Hospitality, Legal Sea Foods, Smith & Wollensky and Strega Italiano; and Mara Cunningham, owner and operator of Yo! Crash Mobile Rage Room.

Attendees will have the chance to cast a vote for their favorite entrepreneur. The Fan Favorite winner will receive $500.

Published by The Business Journal, Youngstown, Ohio.