Husky Dog Pound

• 1st Place-$1000
• 2nd Place-$750
• 3rd Place-$500
• 4th-10th Places-$250
• 11th-19th Place-$200
• 20th-24th Places-$175
• 25th-30th Place-$150
• Advisors 1st-10th Places $100
• 11th-30th Places $75

30 teams will win!

Registration closes on February 27, 2025. Register by Friday, January 31, 2025 to be entered for a chance to win 1 of two $25 Amazon gift cards! 

• Lunch will be provided
• Three minute pitches with five minute Q&A
• Visuals/props allowed (No PowerPoint or video)

This is a shark tank like competition with a 3-minute pitch. Any viable business idea is welcome. Student teams of up to 4 should present a product, service or application.

This competition is open to both middle and high school students. Please note that currently there are no separate divisions for middle and high school. All participants compete in one competition. School districts may send up to 4 teams.

•    Students prepare presentation beforehand
•    Prototypes/samples welcome, but not required
•    Students will not have access to computer or internet
•    Students are allowed trifolds and posters
•    3 minute pitch, 5 minute Q/A with the judges
•    Graded out of 100 points
•    Top 30 students and teachers win monetary prizes; totaling $10,000

As a participant in the Husky Dog Pound, it’s important to look professional in order to impress the judges. Here are the following business casual dress code guidelines for this event:

Attire for Presentations:

• Business Casual: Pants, polo or collared shirt (t-shirts are allowed if it corresponds to business idea), knee length skirts and dresses, closed toe shoes
• All clothes must be clean and wrinkle-free

What is not allowed:

• athletic wear, hoodies, leggings, jeans, hats, worn out and/or dirty shoes

Grooming Standards:

• Participants should maintain a neat and professional appearance at all times. This includes:
  • Well-groomed hair that is clean and styled in a professional manner.
  • Personal hygiene: ensure that you are clean, fresh, and presentable throughout the event.

By adhering to these business professional dress code guidelines, you will not only present yourself in the best possible light but also contribute to the overall professionalism and prestige of the competition. Thank you for your cooperation, and we wish you the best of luck at the Husky Dog Pound!

Business proposition

Open to all new and existing businesses.

If you are an existing business, you must specify how participation in this competition will differentiate your business in the future.

Register Today!

• 1st Place $3,500
• 2nd Place $2,500
• 3rd Place $1,700
• 4th Place $1,300
• 5th Place $1,000

To enter the competition one member of the team must attend each of the 3 Husky Dog Pounds Dens and submit two videos.

Zoom Link:  https://commonwealthu-edu.zoom.us/j/92611009843

• Tuesday, Nov. 11th 7 PM
• Wednesday, Feb. 5th 7 PM
• Wednesday, Feb. 19th 7 PM

Video Submissions

Video #1 Feb. 17th 
Video #2 Feb. 25th 

After the first Husky Den, you will be asked to upload a 1-2-minute video to YouTube highlighting your specific business idea. Please make sure to set the video to public so that it can be accessed by our selection committee. Videos that are set to private or password protected will be disregarded. In this video submission, you will be asked to answer these questions:

1. With your product or service, what problem are you trying to solve?

2. What are your core competencies? (What are you passionate about? What is something you do better than most that is hard to replicate?)

3. What is your specific business idea and model?

4. Identify your potential customers. What is your market segmentation?

5. What is your competitive advantage? How do you differentiate yourself from existing competition?

Only the strong survive, only the best will be asked to participate in the second Husky Den. Following this, you will be asked to upload a 3-5-minute video to YouTube describing your business idea in further detail. Please make sure to set the video to public so that it can be accessed by our selection committee. Videos that are set to private or password protected will be disregarded. In this video submission, you will be asked to answer these questions:

1. Explain for us again, what is your specific business idea and model and what problem are you trying to solve?

2. Based on your core competencies, what competitive advantage do you provide with your product or service?

3. How will you develop your product or service to work in conjunction with your competitive advantage?

4. Based on your target market research, what is your unique value proposition to best suit your customers’ need, differentiating you from the competition?

5. What will be your marketing strategy to increase brand image and brand identity? In which segments do you plan to conduct your analysis?

6. How do you plan to gain traction?

7. What are your assumptions and projections? What does the future have in store for your business?

Again, only the best move on, if you have made it to the semifinal round to compete! But, make sure to participate in the third and final Husky Den to brush up on your presentation skills to woo the judges!

Original Work

All materials submitted by the participants must be the original creation participating teams.

It is understood by all entrants (individuals and teams) that their competition entry does not violate any proprietary or other rights of others.

Confidentiality

Confidentiality agreements/NDAs are not signed as part of the Husky Dog Pound competition. All those associated with the Husky Dog Pound have handled confidential information and will maintain the confidentiality of the participants’ information. It is the responsibility of the participant to decide what information will be shared.

The Husky Dog Pound competition will be open to the public. This means member of the media/press may attend. If the participants want to keep confidential information confidential, it is their responsibility to do so.

Participants authorize Commonwealth University to use their names, interviews and likenesses in all media, including but not limited to video, print, and electronic media. Participants are not entitled to reimbursement for the use of their name, photograph, or likeness in all media created by Commonwealth University.

We do not supply NDAs, but you are more than welcome to provide and distribute them at your discretion.

Disqualification of Entry or Participant

Commonwealth University reserves the right to disqualify any participant, team and/or submission for good cause, including, but not limited to:

• Violation of Commonwealth University’s Code of Conduct (pertains to current BU students)
• Violation of any local, state or federal law
• Content that is pornographic in nature
• Non-compliance with applicable rules
• Non-compliance with the eligibility requirements

Presentation Contract

2024 Competition Results

Commonwealth University's Zeigler College of Business hosted Pennsylvania middle/high school students and Commonwealth University students to compete in the 7th annual Husky Dog Pound Competition on March 21, 2024.

• Event Photos
• Final Round Presentations

Winners

• Middle/High School Students
• Commonwealth University Students
  1st place: Grinta Equipment, Parker Nickelsen
  2nd place: dataBase Analytics, Brenden Argomaniz
  3rd place: Park Savvy, Dylan Harris, Ty Hummer, Louie Wild
  4th Place: SafeWatch, Jade Selby
  5th Place: Harper Screens, Deanna Harper

2023 Competition Results

Commonwealth University's Zeigler College of Business hosted Pennsylvania middle/high school students and CU-Bloomsburg students to compete in the 6th annual Husky Dog Pound Competition on March 23, 2023.

• Event Photos
• WNEP-TV Coverage

Winners

• Middle/High School Students
• CU-Bloomsburg Students
  1st place: Artificer, Ethan Sickler
  2nd place: Potty Bot, Isabella Culp & Aydan McFarland
  3rd place: Halmstead Meadery, Adam Collins
  4th Place: United Training, Inc., David LePoidevin
  5th Place: Collaborate, Michael Gavio