Morgan State University Newsroom Morgan State University
For Morgan M.B.A. student Jayde Duncan, the road to entrepreneurship began with her presentation of a business idea that earned her a golden ticket. Duncan, who graduated from Morgan in May 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, pitched her business concept for Jayde’s Jamming Snowballs at the Startup Maryland pitch competition hosted by the University of Baltimore (UB).
Among the nearly 30 students participating in the competition, two represented Morgan: Duncan and senior Michael Greene, an electrical engineering major. The other schools represented included UB, Coppin State University and Maryland Institute College of Art. However, judges were so impressed with the two-minute pitch for Jayde’s Jamming Snowballs, Duncan was awarded the ‘“Golden Ticket,” which means an opportunity to have her proposal professionally recorded and edited by the Startup Maryland team of experts. In addition, her business idea will be featured on the Startup Maryland website as part of the 2016 Pitch Across Maryland class of entrepreneurs.
The Pitch Across Maryland tour is a celebration and series of promotional rallies (“Tour Stops”) throughout the region, which highlight the vitality of Maryland’s innovation economy. The number of pitch slots at each Tour Stop is limited, and slots are only available to qualified and registered entrepreneurs/startups.
Videos from the tour that are posted to the Startup Maryland website are eligible to participate in a statewide competition for funding and exposure for their business ideas. Typically, 150 startups from across the state are selected during the pitch competitions to be featured on the website. Marylanders are then encouraged to vote to determine their favorites. From among the voters’ choices, eight business ideas are selected by a panel of expert investors to be pitched at the TEDCO Entrepreneurs Expo in November.
Jayde, you make Morgan proud!
