The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga’s Gary W. Rollins College of Business, in partnership with STEM School Chattanooga, will host Inventanooga 2024, a dynamic student pitch competition that highlights some of Tennessee’s brightest young minds.
Scheduled for Thursday on the UTC campus, this annual event gives K-12 students the chance to pitch innovative solutions, inventions and business ideas aimed at solving real-world problems. Participants will compete for prizes while gaining invaluable experience and feedback. This year, students from 12 schools from across the Chattanooga region will participate.
Inventanooga 2024 Schedule of Events
Location: UTC Engineering and Computer Science Building (735 Vine St.)
1 p.m. – Pitch Competition, Benwood and Card Auditoriums
2:40 p.m. – Poster Presentations and Audience Voting, Card Atrium
3 p.m. – Award Ceremony and Reception, Benwood Auditorium
Inventanooga provides students with a platform to build confidence, develop entrepreneurial skills and connect with Chattanooga’s thriving business ecosystem.
“We wanted to host this event to help young entrepreneurs develop their creativity and presentation skills with the hope that they will one day leverage those into real businesses,” said Dr. Subin Im, George Lester Nation Professor of Marketing at the UTC Rollins College of Business. “We want them to know Chattanooga is a great entrepreneurial community with resources to help them grow their skills and eventually launch successful businesses.”
Kyle Carrasco, program director of Inventanooga and a teacher at STEM School Chattanooga, emphasized the competition’s role in fostering confidence and celebrating student ingenuity.
“These students have demonstrated their problem-solving skills through their projects. Their pitches give them the opportunity to present their work in a professional setting. Ultimately, the event is about celebrating and encouraging them,” Mr. Carrasco said.
For years, STEM School Chattanooga hosted its own version of Inventanooga. Recognizing the potential to inspire a broader audience, the school partnered with the UTC Rollins College of Business in 2022. This collaboration expanded Inventanooga’s reach, creating opportunities for young innovators to connect with professionals and the local entrepreneurial community.
Inventanooga is free and open to the public. Don’t miss this opportunity to support Tennessee’s young entrepreneurs as they shape the future with creativity, determination, and bold ideas.
Learn more about the event and register here.