2 Withrow seniors learn about entrepreneurship at UC

Two Withrow University High School seniors participated in a University of Cincinnati program that focused on starting a business, and one of the students was part of a group that tied for top honors in the UC Shark Tank.

From left, Withrow University High School senior Dauvae Davis, FamiliesFORWARD college coordinator Lakisha Porter and Withrow senior Angel Prince.

FamiliesFORWARD sponsored Dauvae Davis and Angel Prince in the nine-week Saturday program named LAUNCH! at the University of Cincinnati Center for Entrepreneurship and Commercialization, part of the UC Carl H. Lindner College of Business.

The program is designed to orient high school students to the world of business and enables exploration of Cincinnati’s thriving business start-up ecosystem. Questions such as “How do businesses really work?” and “What helps organizations to lead, innovate and achieve excellence?” are explored. Students interact with expert entrepreneurs and national, award-winning faculty members.

LAUNCH! says it gives students a head start on their university careers and provides them with insights into how to thrive in business. Thirteen students from school districts in the Cincinnati area took part in the program.

The average GPA of students in the program was a 4.0. A graduation event occurred Nov. 18, 2017, in which students presented a slide show with their groups. Each group had 10 minutes to pitch their business idea.

Davis’ group joined with another group to develop a clothing business, Legacy Street Wear. The two groups shared the top prize of $1,000. Davis also received an award for being the “Destiny Shaper.”

Prince, whose group presented the Nightingale Cyber Security Consulting Service, received two awards for “Confident Risk Taker” and “Creative Problem Solver.”