GREENFIELD — Seven budding entrepreneurs emerged from “shark”-infested waters with positive feedback and constructive criticism.
It was all part of the Greenfield Community College Business Club’s Shark Tank competition on Friday.
GCC student Maya Kazinskas took first place for her pitch regarding further development of Franklin County Against Bullies, a nonprofit she formed with a partner.
The second annual entrepreneur competition consisted of students appearing on stage in front of a panel of local judges to propose business ideas in an elevator pitch format, meaning they deliver a brief summary of their idea — as if they have the time spent only on a typical elevator ride.
Members of the live audience of more than 100 voted for their favorite 90-second pitches.
The competition is modeled after “Shark Tank,” an ABC television show in which entrepreneurs lobby for investments from a panel of business geniuses.
Kazinskas and her partner launched a Facebook page four months ago and hope to provide training, education and other resources aimed at ending bullying — including cyberbullying — in the county. Kazinskas won $400 in cash, a $700-plus prize pack and the right to advance to the Harold Grinspoon Foundation’s Elevator Pitch Competition.
“It’s a fact that bullying interferes with learning and work performances,” she said at a podium in GCC’s dining commons. “There is a risk of kids and adults not being supported by parents, peers, schools and businesses.”
She told The Recorder there is a $850 filing fee to become a 501(c)3 organization.
Panel judge Annie Lytle-Rich, manager of Shelburne Falls Coffee Roasters, told Kazinskas she fights for an amazing cause and judge Samalid Hogan, regional director of Massachusetts Small Business Development Center, suggested partnering an established nonprofit, which Kazinskas said she and her partner have discussed.
Kazinskas told The Recorder a representative from United Way approached her about possible collaboration after Kazinskas exited the stage.
Sara Orellana was the second-place finisher, winning $250 in cash and a $100-plus prize. She jars and sells a chile paste she developed with her sister-in-law about six years ago. It is called El Cherufe and named after a mythological creature said to live deep within Chilean volcanoes and cause earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Melissa Osborne, who wants to create wellness videos for people with chronic conditions, took third place and won $100 in cash in addition to a $100-plus prize pack.
Lex Rudel, who proposed a music device he hopes would be more convenient than an iPod, won the UMassFive College Federal Credit Union People’s Choice Award and took home $150.
Other panel judges were Tom Pisano of UMassFive College Federal Credit Union, Charles Johnson, associate director of the Berthiaume Center for Entrepreneurship, and Anita Eliason, a business development specialist at the Franklin County Community Development Corp.
GCC Business Club President Jamie Cocco emceed the free event and Vice President Andrew Simmons timed the 90-second pitches.
You can reach Domenic Poli at: dpoli@recorder.com or 413-772-0261, ext. 258. On Twitter: @DomenicPoli