Nearly 48 students from Mundelein High School participated in the INCubator MVP Pitch Day, presenting their business ideas to a panel of 11 local business owners and entrepreneurs on Friday. The event is part of the school’s INCubator class, where students work in teams to create products aimed at solving specific problems.
Throughout the semester, groups of three to five students developed business models for their concepts, which included AI-driven pens, safety-focused apps, and odor-resistant footwear. The presentations were delivered before members of the INCubator Board of Advisors and coaches in a format similar to “Shark Tank.” No winners were announced at this stage; selections will be made during the Final Pitch scheduled for May.
After all 11 student groups presented their projects, community partners provided feedback and practical advice on each pitch. Rich Stiles, Chairman of the MHS Fine Arts and Career Technical Education Department, emphasized the value these relationships bring: “For more than a decade, our high school Business INCubator has thrived because of strong, lasting community partnerships,” Stiles said. “We are deeply grateful to our community partners for investing their time, knowledge, and support in the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
The Board of Advisors present at the event included Bruce Dir, Andy Klein, Jess Stoffel, Angela Trillhaase, Brian Martin, Chris Rebellon and Cameron Adams.
Mundelein Consolidated High School District 120 serves Lake County and includes Mundelein High School as part of its district structure (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). According to state data from the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE), District 120 employs 130 teachers with an average salary of $91,610; about half are women and half are men. There are no teachers with more than ten absences in a school year (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). The district’s student population is diverse: approximately 41 percent White, 45 percent Hispanic, six percent Asian and two percent Black (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/). In 2020 spending per student was nearly $30,000 for a total annual expenditure exceeding $61 million (https://www.illinoisreportcard.com/).
