Branksome Hall’s Second Noodle Pitch Competition
The second year of Branksome’s annual accelerator program, the Noodle Pitch Competition, finally came to an end with the announcement of its winner: Happiness Battery. Miranda, Parker, and Ore, the leaders of Happiness Battery, received a $10,000 grand prize provided by Marry Lesslie Hallward’74, as announced in the Senior and Middle School Assembly last week.
Noodle was launched in 2019 as Canada’s first entrepreneurship accelerator program at the high school level. Accelerators encourage the development of startups and guide individuals and teams to materialize their ideas. While the program itself gives students opportunities to develop and enhance their problem-solving skills, participants also get to work hand-in-hand with actual entrepreneurs.
“It’s incredible to see the level of mentorship, dedication and aspiration that these students have, on top of crushing it in the classroom. It’s great to see the school continuing to create new ways to foster creativity and idea realization,” said Simone-Richards, a visibility strategist and public relations consultant.
While Noodle is a 38-week intensive entrepreneurial education program, students will take the skills they learned to post-graduation and beyond.
“I know I’ll take what I learned, throughout almost one year of Noodle with me for the rest of my life,” says Miranda, the CEO of Happiness Battery. “I know [choosing a winner]was definitely a tough decision because all the other teams also put in so much dedication and passion into their companies.”
Participants in Noodle bring forward startup ideas that alleviate current issues affecting the world. Grade 11 students Rachel and Seungmyoung pitched Pedestal, an online platform that boosts motivation and supports learning gaps. At Gaia Cases, Emily, Nia, and Fatima strived to increase sustainability within the phone case market by designing biodegradable cases made of non-plastic materials. Lastly, grade 12 students Yuna and Faith pitched Serein, which aimed to promote self-love and appreciation through aromatherapy candles.
In a matter of 38 weeks, these four student-led teams built their own companies from scratch under the guidance of faculty, student advisors, and entrepreneurs. Imagine what you could learn through such an amazing experience! Students from grades 7 to 12 are encouraged to participate in the next Noodle Pitch competition, and no prior experience in entrepreneurship is required. Attend one of Mr. Pasiliao’s information sessions to learn more about this amazing entrepreneurial experience where you can actualize your innovative ideas.
