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Student entrepreneurs take the stage at FEDCO’s 7th annual First Pitch Event

Thursday, February 5, 2026 at 7:48 AM

By Staff report

Three area high schools will be represented at the 7th annual “First Pitch by FEDCO” event.

Six entrepreneurial entrants will compete for cash prizes sponsored by Fulton County REMC.  Participating schools include Caston, Tippecanoe Valley and Rochester High Schools.

On March 12, from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m., at The Times Theater in Downtown Rochester, the six finalists (2 from each of the above schools) will have seven minutes to present their business “pitch” to a panel of three judges, which includes:

  • Participant Name(s)
  • Business Name
  • Description of product/service
  • Tell what made the team interested in this kind of business
  • Tell why business is feasible and why it will be successful (summary)
  • Define the business model and how it will make money, target customer(s), pricing, costs, projected profitability. 
  • Identify the business’s competitive edge

The judges will then have 6 minutes to ask questions of each participant.

Beginning in February 2020, Fulton Economic Development Corporation (FEDCO), through its BizGro program, has coordinated this Fulton County entrepreneurial opportunity with the schools. 

Amy Beechy, BizGro Manager, shared, “From the beginning, our goal has been to expose students to what it actually takes to develop a business idea. If someone goes on to start a business, that’s wonderful, but it’s not the expectation. The real value is in experiencing the process: thinking it through, putting it on paper, and then stepping up to pitch the idea. Those skills - confidence, problem-solving, and communication carry far beyond this program.” She went on to say that if they desire to launch the business, winners will have access to FEDCO’s business resources, such as business planning classes, workshops, low-interest loan funds, and business counseling.

Fulton County REMC sponsors this event by offering $1500 in cash prizes to the six finalists.  Prizes will be awarded as follows:

1st Place, $500

2nd, $400

3rd, $300

4th, $100

5th, $100

6th, $100

The program is open to the public. For more information, contact Amy Beechy at 574-709-7955 or amy@projectmattersllc.com.

 

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