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EdTech

PITCH CONTEST & INNOVATION BOOTCAMP

Do you have an innovative edtech idea?

EdTech Pitch Contest

The EdTech Pitch Contest encourages innovative thinking from those in Michigan’s education ecosystem. Successful pitches will identify ideas that have the most potential to advance learning or teaching through the application of existing or new technology. Submissions were accepted from March 20, 2023 until May 14, 2023.

Our 5 finalists are:

YouLearn, an AI-powered education platform offering customized content and smart tutoring, led by Advait Paliwal, a student at Michigan State University and a graduate of Troy High School.
eKinomy, a role-play game designed to bring international trade and economics to life for elementary and middle school students, led by Sharon Jessica and Zhixin Li, graduate students in the Marsal School of Education at the University of Michigan.
Spelling Safari, a spelling curriculum reinvention & software solution providing elementary students with fun and adaptive learning, led by Jonathan Marceau, a teacher at Monfort Elementary in the Utica Community School district.
Spanish S.W.A.G., an on-demand language learning program designed to make language acquisition fun, interactive, and accessible to all, led by Jessica Feliz, an educator who has served students in Battle Creek, Detroit, and Berkley.
BiPSE, a classroom and behavior management app that helps teachers, parents, and students better monitor and manage behavioral support programs, led by Lori Kuntz and Megan Hines from Roosevelt Elementary School in Lakeshore Public Schools (Stevensville, Michigan) and Tammy Claes, an Occupational Therapist with Berrien RESA in Berrien Springs, Michigan.

The final EdTech Pitch Contest event will occur live online on June 29, 2023 at 4pm! Check back here for viewing information.

Contest Timeline

February 2023 — Pre-pitch supports and resources become available on event website
March 20, 2023 — Written pitch submission window opens
May 14, 2023 — Written pitch submission window closes at 11:59pm
May 26, 2023 — Finalists notified
June 29, 2023 — Final pitch event (live online) at 4:00pm
Week of July 17, 2023 — Edtech Innovation and entrepreneurship bootcamp

Prizes

1st place

$10,000

+ Branding and logo design package + startup legal consultation

2nd place

$6,000

+ Logo design package + startup legal consultation

3rd place

$4,000

+ Logo design package + startup legal consultation

The 4th and 5th place finalist will each receive $1,000.

EdTech Innovation Bootcamp

Live online bootcamp (via Zoom) July 17th – 20th, 8 a.m. – 12 p.m. daily.

Do you have a business idea that will improve teaching or learning through the use of technology? Then join us for our 2023 EdTech Innovation Bootcamp. We’ll help you explore the idea, develop a business model, and identify your next steps for making your idea a reality!

You may or may not think of yourself as an entrepreneur. But consider this: who’s better equipped than those already within our education system to invent creative solutions to the problems they experience on a daily basis?

There is no cost to attend and Michigan Educators can earn 20 SCECH credits for completing the full Bootcamp. Space is limited. Sign up today!

Some EdTech Innovation Bootcamp topics will include:

Entity formation and startup legal fundamentals
Developing a business model
Finance 101 for startups
Education market fundamentals
Entrepreneurial and startup support landscape
Innovation & entrepreneurship in schools and classrooms
Customer discovery and product-market fit

Our fantastic partners & sponsors

The EdTech Pitch Contest & Innovation Bootcamp wouldn’t be possible without the support of our amazing partners and sponsors! This year’s contest is organized by Michigan Virtual, Spartan Innovations, Michigan Small Business Development Center, and MSU’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation. Generous sponsorship has also been provided by Michigan Creative, Foster Swift, Meemic, Consumers Energy, Michigan Education Association, CASE Credit Union, and LearningMate.

Our Partners

Our Sponsors

Eligibility Guidelines

The pitch contest and Bootcamp are open to any adult (18+) resident of Michigan with clear ties to our state’s education ecosystem. These may include but are not limited to:

Teachers, administrators, paraprofessionals, counselors, or Pre-K-12 school personnel
Parents of school-aged children (Pre-K-12)
Students of any major attending a college or university in Michigan,
Staff from teacher prep programs at colleges and universities in Michigan
Staff from organizations that serve or support Michigan’s Pre-K-12 education ecosystem.

Teams are eligible so long as one member is a resident of Michigan with a clear tie to Michigan’s education ecosystem. No one may submit to the pitch contest as part of multiple teams, and no one may submit more than one idea.

For the pitch contest specifically, ideas and concepts pitched must be pre-startup, start-up, or early stage of development. Entities must be unformed or less than two years old. Entities must have less than $20,000 in prior outside investment.

Employees of organizing partners may submit a pitch and participate in the bootcamp but will not be eligible for prizes.

Prior year's winners

Read the full press release here.

1st Place: Robert Richards, a science teacher in Stockbridge, with QB-Sat, a satellite-launch STEM kit and curriculum focused on engineering and space exploration.
2nd Place: Garret Potter, an educator and graduate student from Ann Arbor, with Everstory, an audio/visual encyclopedia exploration environment for early learners.
3rd Place: Angela Jenkins and Julie Hamrick, teachers in Livonia, with Selective, an online learning tool that integrates social emotional learning with academic practice.

Sign up for information on upcoming events & networking opportunities!

Would you like to receive information on upcoming edtech innovation events from Michigan Virtual and our partners? Interested in connecting with others in Michigan’s edtech innovation community? We’ve got you covered. Fill out the form below and we’ll keep you apprised of the latest and greatest!

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