Business students from the Copper Country Intermediate School District Career and Technical Education (CTE) program recently participated in the first-ever Pike Tank Entrepreneurship Event, a day dedicated to innovation, hands-on learning, and connecting students with local business leaders.
The event was made possible through a collaboration between Breakwater Federal Credit Union, the Copper Country Intermediate School District CTE Program, and the Michigan Small Business Development Center, along with the support of numerous local businesses and organizations that volunteered their time to participate as mentors, judges, and activity hosts.
The day began with keynote presentations from Marty Fittante, CEO of InvestUP and Build U.P., and Jim Baker, senior associate vice president for research and innovation at Michigan Technological University, who shared insights from their professional journeys and discussed how entrepreneurship can drive innovation and create opportunity.
Following the keynote session, students rotated through a variety of activities that highlighted different aspects of entrepreneurship. These included the Pike Tank pitch competition, where students presented their business ideas to a panel of judges, and a new entrepreneurship simulation designed by Breakwater Federal Credit Union that challenged students to budget for real-world business decisions related to marketing, compliance, staffing, and operations.
Students also had the opportunity to network with professionals from local organizations that support entrepreneurs in our region through a guided networking activity called Business Bingo. The experience helped students build confidence interacting with professionals while learning about resources available to new and growing businesses in our region.
With the success of this year’s Pike Tank, we are excited to bring the event back next year and continue expanding opportunities for students to learn about entrepreneurship in our region. Events like Pike Tank highlight the power of collaboration between educators, businesses, and community partners in preparing students for future opportunities.