LaunchX Global Demo Days at MIT on May 4, 2019
After my team and I developed our product called Cord Restored, we prepared to present it to the LaunchX Clubs community. LaunchX Clubs hosts a contest for all of the high school teams in several different global regions, as well as an online video pitch contest. This was a chance to present what we had been working on for many months and to get feedback on our product and business plan. My teammates, Finn Keller, Ryan Lavery, and I studied previous LaunchX presentations online and looked at lots of example of pitch decks. We had never given a pitch like this before, so we had a lot to learn. The first Regional Demo Day competition felt intimidating with around two dozen teams from our region. There were so many good teams and interesting products. I felt nervous, but I was pleased to present a product that I felt passionate about and on which I had worked many hours. I was thrilled and surprised to hear we won and would represent the Southwest United States at the Global Demo day at MIT on May 4, 2019. There were six other global regional finalists, as well as around a dozen online finalists selected to pitch at the LaunchX Clubs Global Demo Day at MIT. I made an effort to reach out to the finalists online via Twitter and Instagram and was looking forward to meeting everyone.
Walking onto the MIT campus, I was in awe of both the history and the innovative architecture. We faced a full auditorium of almost twenty teams from around the world and the event was live streamed to over a thousand people on Facebook. I was nervous and glad that I was there with my teammates, Finn and Ryan, as well as with our school mentor and teacher, Mr. Fay. The other teams were impressive and had interesting product ideas. I was especially moved by Puerto Rican team Yumac Solar’s portable generator, as they had built their incredible product to address an immediate and pressing need in their community. After the presentation, we talked with the judges and audience members from the business community. They gave us advice on pricing and legal matters so that we could take Cord Restored to market. We also got to talk to other teams about their strategies. It was inspiring to see how much we had in common, despite coming from different parts of the world.
I was invigorated after the presentation and we continue to take the steps the judges recommended to turn our idea into a company, but I continue to face challenges as a seventeen year old. I had to go in person to persuade our local bank to let me get a corporate bank account. I also went to my local city hall right before a final exam to get a local business permit. The LaunchX community guided me every step of the way as I learned about various legal hurdles and followed the needed steps to make this into a real business.
Without the resources of LaunchX, we could not have started a company. The advice from judges and other experts in the audience was invaluable. I also think that others would not have been so generous with their advice and resources if I were not a member of a LaunchX team. I am excited by the future of Cord Restored as a business and its potential to save many thousands of electronic cords from ending up in toxic landfills and I look forward to a lifetime of creating innovative products that make a positive difference. Most of all, I am inspired by meeting so many amazing fellow LaunchX Clubs members from around the world who share my interests in social justice, innovation, and entrepreneurship.
LaunchX Clubs is truly a community that can have a positive impact on your own future and the future of others. Join LaunchX, or join or start a LaunchX Club at your school today, and be on your way to launching a real startup that makes a difference in your life and the lives of others.
Keep in touch and tell us about your journey! We can make a difference together. Feel free to email me at Matthew.Burke@cordrestored.com or follow us @cordrestored on Twitter and Instagram, and at www.cordrestored.com Looking forward to seeing all of the amazing startups that you and your friends will create as part of the LaunchX Clubs program. You’ve got this!
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Our pitch: One million tons of external power supplies are manufactured each year, but 60% end up in the landfill, polluting the environment through excessive manufacturing and e-waste. We aim to slow down this pipeline by extending the life-cycle of these items. We offer an array of patent-pending easy-to-apply quick-drying non-toxic non-flammable formulas that repair frayed electrical chargers, wires and cables; this base formulation can be used in a wide array of commercial and industrial applications; visit us at www.cordrestored.com
Keywords: LaunchX, high school, teens, clubs, business, entrepreneurs, startups, STEM, engineering, science, mentorship, product development, marketing, branding, finance, pitch deck, social justice, e-waste, Los Angeles, California, Cord Restored
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