Students in the year-long INCubatoredu class will develop a product from conception to creation. Mentor Match Day allows local business professional to partner with the students and help direct and coach them throughout the planning process.

“This is always an exciting event as it is the first introduction of our possible mentors to our class,” said INCubatoredu teacher Lauren Denning. “It is my absolute favorite part of the class. It’s giving these students the ability to interact and engage with community members on such a deep level.”

Denning says this year’s class has a wide variety of innovative products the students are working on, including massaging backpacks, self-cleaning bathroom cleaners, ingredient delivery services, and motivation patches. During the event, the student groups held back-to-back pitches for their products while the community members traveled around to listen and provide feedback to each group.

“It was amazing watching the confidence and comfortability grow with each turn of presenting. The best feedback we got was about the students’ engagement,” said Denning. “It was evident that they were excited for the opportunity and ready to learn from our experts. I was very proud of how they conducted themselves and the lessons they learned from the experience.”

At the end of the event, community members were able to sign up as a mentor to the groups to provide networking and guidance throughout the year. Denning says the community partnership with the mentors is invaluable and has a positive impact on the students by encouraging them to reach their full potential.

“They are able to see people applying the lessons we learn in class in such a tangible way that they can see and experience based on what these mentors and coaches have to say. When they hear from a successful person in the real world, it just gives them real meaning,” said Denning. “We were lucky enough to have several community members return as well because they love being able to interact and give back to students in this way.”

Mentor Match Day is one of many events and steps in the product planning process. INCubatoredu students will continue to interview potential customers, sort through finances, and then start building and testing the products with the help of their mentors to prepare them for the Final Pitch in May.