The Clark Tank platform offers three unique funding events throughout the school year – Venture Development, Marketing Pitch Competition, and Business Pitch Competition.
Supporting these different challenges is a robust speaker series with alumni entrepreneurs, successful business developers, and a past winners’ panel.
Accepted ventures are awarded $100 of investment seed money from the Clark Tank Committee at the start of the journey. Participants are emerged in mentoring from Clark entrepreneurship faculty and staff, as well as, alumni and successful entrepreneurs. Other events related to Clark Tank – Venture Development include Clark Collective-sponsored popups, an intensive prep class with guests, pitch practice, and other venture development activities.
At the end of the journey, the Clark Tank participants earn the opportunity to pitch at the semi-finals to the Clark Tank Committee to secure a spot to pitch to a judging panel of alumni, staff, faculty, and past ClarkTank winners, for a chance to be awarded additional venture funding up to $5000!
Clark Tank Venture Development received 24 applications in December 2023. Of the 24, 16 ventures were accepted to compete in the months-long challenge.
Clark Tank Venture Development 2024 List of Events
- January 17, 2024, Clark Tank Welcome Dinner
- January 19 – March 1, 2024, Clark Tank Venture Development boot camp course
- Boot camp guest speakers: Sawsan Berjawi, Clark University Career Services; Elyson dos Santos, Rockland Trust; Tara Ostromecky, Makin’ it Marketing; Laura Robinson, Clark University Research; Tim Hally, Munq; Debra Harrsch, Brandwidth Solutions; Elery Rojas, Wix.com; Tom Herold, SBDC; Gerri Detweiler, NAV.com.
- February 1, 2024, one-on-one pitch creation with Debra Harrsch, CEO of Brandwidth Solutions
- February 14, 2024, Clark Collective Clark Tank popup
- March 11-22, 2024, one-on-one pitch deck development and practice with Teresa Quinn, E&I Program Manager
- March 13-18, 2024, pitch deck workshop with Crysta Spitzfaden
- March 22, 2024, pitch practice in front of a live audience
- March 29, 2024, semi-finals
- April 5, 2024, FINALS
Clark Tank Venture Development 2024 Participants
- Just for Fun Farms, Owen Chase ’26, mentor Jack Levine, founder of Town to Table
- HighDef Hognose, Forest Ryvicker ’26, mentor Tim Hally, founder of Munq
- Hoang Media, Natalie Hoang ’25, mentor Lawrence Norman
- Stamp and Petal, Alyssa Martinez ’26, mentor Martina Villanueva owner of Magpies Collect
- Manny’s Mobile Recording Studio, Manny Torto ’27, mentor John Freyermuth, Audio Engineer
- Gen Scholar, Yajaira Bonilla ’25, mentor Tara Ostromecky, Makin’ it Marketing
- Olympus Solutions, Kai Cecil ’27, mentor Che Anderson, UMass
- Home in 1, Benicio Root ’27, mentor Kyle Joseph, realtor
- Sophpremacy, Sophie Lee ’26, mentor Martina Villanueva, owner of Magpies Collect
- Little Sky Trinkets, Hodaya Zhang ’27, mentor Claire Grant owner of Dragon Ink
- Boltchway Clothing, Andrew Botchway ’26, mentor Sean Christy
- Masala King, Neel Kumar ’26, Bess Holland-Agnitti
- Jay’s Detailing and Cleaning, Jay Zhou ’26, mentor Paul Case, Clark University
- Jewels for Pixies, Ana Gonan ’26, mentor Xio Alvarado
- No Hour Vintage Clothing, Will Brothers ’26, mentor Andy Acevedo
Clark Tank Venture Development 2023 Judging Panel
Debra Harrsch ’80, president and CEO of Brandwidth Solutions
Max Feber, Shark Tank Contestant Season 10, Episode 9
Briana Azier ’05, Owner of Bri’s Sweet Treats
Max Schweitzer ’22, ’23 owner of Schweitzer Studios, Clark Tank Venture development; marketing pitch winner 2023
Maddy Steigman ’24, Clark Entrepreneurship Club President, owner of Dough is Me and Clark Tank ’21 participant
Noel Stemn, owner of Woo Juice and Entrepreneur
Clark Tank Generous Donors
Samantha Goodman ’11 and Michael Goodman
Christina Bai ’13
Idriss Laouali Abdou ’21 MBA
The Clark Tank Marketing Pitch Competition is a new addition for 2023. Through the generous donation and guidance of Debra Harrsch ’80, the marketing pitch competition has become a yearly Clark Tank event.
The E&I Program partnered with the student chapter of the American Marketing Association (AMA) to host 10 marketing workshops to prep the participants for the final pitch day.
- January 24 – April 2, 2024, AMA & E&I Program Marketing Workshop Series
- Personal Branding & the Science of Persuasion – John Dobson
- Building Brand Stories that Connect – Tim Hally
- Talking Marketing! Podcasting – Allen Ibrahim
- Brand Love – Lawrence Norman
- Building Community Through Event Marketing – Emilee Cocuzzo
- Resume and Job Interviewing Best Practices – Mark Gefteas
- Marketing Basics for Small Businesses – Nick Keyes
- Networking – Bri Azier
- How to Pitch a Marketing Plan – Teresa Quinn
- Social Media and Personal Branding – Bob Cargill
Clark Tank Marketing Pitch 2024 Participants Announced Soon
Clark Tank Marketing Pitch Judging Panel
Noah Katz ’26, owner of the Umpire Channel
Tara Ostromecky, owner of Makin’ it Marketing
Jim Keogh, Associate VP of Communications at Clark University
Clark Tank Marketing Pitch Generous Donor of Award – $1000
Debra Harrsch ’80, CEO of Brandwidth Solutions
This Clark Tank challenge helps design a pitch that will wow angel investors and venture capitalists. All participants of the Business Pitch Competition will be provided with tools and resources to help develop their concepts and ideas. Additionally, this challenge will help you explore your market, understand your customers and competitors, and develop a top-notch funding pitch.
Clark Tank Business Competition 2023, mentor five ventures with seven Clark student entrepreneurs through a six-week course. At the end of the course, all participants pitched to a distinguished panel of judges on February 27, 2023.
Clark Tank Business Pitch Competition 2024 Judging Panel
Greg Montemurro, Founder of Capital Z and Operations Coordinator at DCU FinTech Innovation Center
Brad Kern, Operating Partner at Andreessen Horowitz
Katie Cella ’15, President of Bixal
Rick Treitman ’73, Entrepreneur in Residence at Adobe
Ryan Cohen ’18, founder of Top Shelf Cannaseurs and Kind Run Delivery
Pitch Finals – February 27, 2023
Crowdfunding Campaign
The Clark Tank Crowdfunding Competition is a test run for future student crowdfunding campaigns. Clark E&I teamed up with GiveButter, a crowdfunding platform, to design and launch real funding campaigns. More to come.
Clark Tank 2023 Committee
Teresa Quinn, Jen Plante ’00, Julie Bolduc, Jose Castro ’22, and Sujhan Ghimire ’23
A special thanks to Samantha Goodman ’11, Michael Goodman, and Swing Issues Media for additional funding.