Immokalee Foundation Announces Date and Judges for Annual Shark Tank-Themed Event

Executives from Scotlynn, Barron Collier Companies, Life in Naples and Clive Daniel will judge student business pitches as part of Business Management & Entrepreneurship summer camp at FGCU

The Immokalee Foundation will host their 4th Annual Shark Tank-themed event: “What’s Your Pitch—A Showcase of Student Innovators” at Florida Gulf Coast University on July 8. The event features a panel of judges that will evaluate business pitches from Foundation students as part of a hands-on entrepreneurial summer camp. Judges for the 2022 event include: Sandra Lee Buxton of Life in Naples, Blake Gable of Barron Collier Companies, Daniel Lubner of Clive Daniel and Sean Rego of Scotlynn.

What’s Your Pitch—A Showcase of Student Innovators is the culmination of a four-week camp where teams of Foundation high school students, ages 14 to 16, from the Business Management & Entrepreneurship Pathway work to identify a problem or opportunity, create an innovative solution, and develop a sustainable business model for their concept. The students then pitch their creative business start-up ideas—much like the popular TV show Shark Tank—in front of a panel of judges composed of business leaders and entrepreneurs. The judges will crown a winner that successfully presents a well-rounded business model and marketing plan with the winning team receiving a cash prize.

“At The Immokalee Foundation we are always looking for innovative ways to creatively engage our community that help educate and benefit our students,” said Marie Rubenstein, Vice President of Philanthropy at The Immokalee Foundation. “I’m so grateful to our community judges who have partnered with us and are donating their time to help motivate and inspire the entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”

“What’s Your Pitch is an event that highlights the creativity and teamwork of The Immokalee Foundation’s students. Their innovative pitches and confidence in public speaking are truly amazing when you consider that they are only 14, 15 or 16 years old,” said Amber Barr, Program Services Director at The Immokalee Foundation. “We are so grateful to have four incredible judges to provide their insight and expertise, which will greatly benefit our students.”

The camp is a partnership between the Foundation and Florida Gulf Coast University’s Institute for Entrepreneurship. Students will work with the University faculty, as well as local mentors, to learn about the entrepreneurial mindset and how to critically examine problems to develop innovative solutions, providing the students with valuable, real-world business experience.

About The Judges:

Sandra Lee Buxton RN, BSN, MA is the owner and editor of Life in Naples Magazine. Having a background in healthcare, Sandra Lee established a nursing endowment at Florida Gulf Coast University for those seeking a Bachelor’s Degree in Professional Nursing. She is a graduate of Leadership Institute, Greater Naples Leadership and honored as a Women of Initiative through the Community Foundation of Collier County. Sandra Lee directs her attention to organizations supporting Veterans, Children, Education, and advocacy to the underserved. She also currently serves as Commissioner of Collier Mosquito Control District and on the State Board for Classical Education Network.

Blake Gable is the CEO of Barron Collier Companies where he oversees a team of 140 employees, 1.3 million square feet of commercial properties, private land holdings of over 80,000 acres, and one of Southwest Florida’s largest citrus operations. Blake currently serves as the Chairperson of the Florida Gulf Coast University Board of Trustees and has graduated from both Leadership Collier and Leadership Florida programs. Committed to his community, Blake directs his efforts towards the future of higher education for the state of Florida and business opportunities available to young professionals.

Daniel Lubner is the Co-Founder and CEO of Clive Daniel Home, Florida’s premier destination for fine furnishings as well as custom residential and commercial interior design services. Since opening their doors in Naples in 2011, Clive Daniel has expanded to Boca Raton and Sarasota. Under Daniel’s leadership, Clive Daniel has become a Top 100 Furniture Retailer and received more than 430 awards for design excellence, including Best Showroom in the United States.

Sean Rego is the Head of Talent Acquisition at Scotlynn where he is responsible for the overall strategy and execution of all recruiting-related activities. Sean also owns and operates Sean Rego Talent, where he provides career and coaching services to all levels of professionals. Recently, Sean served as a judge for the Daveler & Kauanui School of Entrepreneurship at Florida Gulf Coast University’s Shark Tank for Veteran Entrepreneurs.

For more information on The Immokalee Foundation’s transformational work and to stay connected with our student’s stories, visit: immokaleefoundation.org.

Featured Photo: Marie Rubenstein, Vice President of Philanthropy at The Immokalee Foundation. 

About The Immokalee Foundation

For more than 30 years, The Immokalee Foundation has been preparing the next generation of leaders through a 100% focus on education, career readiness, and professional development for students in Immokalee—from kindergarten to postsecondary education. The Immokalee Foundation offers new pathways to success and financial independence through robust programming that prepares students for well-paying, in-demand professional careers in Business Management & Entrepreneurship, Education & Human Services, Engineering & Construction Management and Healthcare. For additional information call 239-430-9122 or visit immokaleefoundation.org.

0 replies

Leave a Reply

Want to join the discussion?
Feel free to contribute!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.