Shark Tank: Westward Expansion
As Homesteaders are moving West, they are trying to figure out which crops grow on the new land that they had bought. The struggle for them is that the crops they are used to growing either back East or in Europe will not grow on the Great Plains. The soil is different, the climate is different, it rarely rains, the summers are hot and the winters are cold.
You and your group have a new product that you believe could help them break the soil and grow something that they can use to feed their families or sell to make a little money, but there is no way for them to find out about what you might have to help them. The job or your group is to research your product and figure out a way to sell it to the Homesteaders.
When you come to class, you will either be assigned to look at one of these or be on the panel of “entrepreneurs” who will be in a position to invest in these products.
If you are assigned to a group that is looking at one of the products, you are going to have 40 minutes to create a presentation about your product. Your presentation should include:
You are going to have 3 minutes to convince a panel of “entrepreneurs” that they should invest in your product and help you get it to market. You can use whatever “modern” technique you would like to, but it should not be a poster or a PowerPoint.
The products that are going to be your options are:
If you are assigned to the “entrepreneur” group, it is going to be your job to know something about all of the products so that you will have the ability to ask intelligent questions of the producers. You will have the same 40 minutes to learn as much as you can about the products.