Teens pitch business ideas during Vegas Chamber’s annual trade show

Chayse Luckie, a high school student, had never participated in a pitch competition before.

On Wednesday, he stood in front of a small crowd during the Vegas Chamber’s annual Business Expo to pitch his idea for a food truck business that is sensitive to dietary needs.

“I feel blessed to have the opportunity to share my idea,” Luckie said. “I like to be a speaker of sorts and speak up for communities and get those voices heard.”

Luckie was one of three finalists in the expo’s first Baby Shark Tank Competition, meant to spark entrepreneurship in teenage contestants. Each finalist presented their idea to a group of three judges, who then briefly questioned the contestants before deliberating over how to divvy up the prize money. Luckie ultimately placed third and won $200, which he said he would use to buy ingredients.

Mary Beth Sewald, the president and CEO of the Vegas Chamber, said the competition was a “great way” for her organization to “engage with young entrepreneurs.”

“As a chamber of commerce, we’re always trying to foster growth and business friendly individuals at a young age,” Sewald said. “We thought this was a really good way to do that.”

The winning idea was put forth by contestant Reyna Allen, who designed an app called Life Launch. Allen’s app is intended to impart life skills and financial literacy to teenagers and young adults.

Rico Cruz placed second for his business, Rock with Rico, which seeks to help organizations connect with young people.

The Baby Shark Tank Competition was part of the Vegas Chamber’s annual trade show for local businesses, held at the World Market Center. Around 1,000 people registered for Business Expo, according to Cara Clarke, the vice president of communications at the Vegas Chamber.

Business Expo also featured Resource Row, a dedicated area for a dozen small business support organizations including the Nevada Department of Business & Industry and Nevada Small Business Development Center.

Ted Talk-style sessions led by Vegas Chamber members also covered business trends and strategies for success. For instance, Jason Lent, a sales and marketing manager at Hard Rock International, spoke about the development of the Hard Rock brand.

Clarke said that Business Expo aims to give entrepreneurs an affordable way to gain access to resources and network with other business owners.

“It’s hard to get your brand out there,” Clarke said. “This kind of personalized direct, relationship building component is really good.”

Contact Sophie Baker at sbaker@reviewjournal.com.