Hi please find my venture pitch below which is an experiential learning platform that connects higher education students with employers for micro-internship projects.
https://www.canva.com/design/DAE8tWKRSkU/Zcqh8YYFiiSegFOTlajMoQ/view
I’ve included my elevator pitch in the link above, but it is also available to watch here:
Hi Robyn! You did a fantastic job putting together this pitch! I can definitely appreciate the value to both employers and students to have an easy means to secure experience while outsourcing unique short-term projects that the company might not be ideally suited to fulfill themselves. I also appreciate the commitment to a living wage for students (I can recall many internships offering no pay a decade ago in some of Canada’s most expensive cities when I graduated, and I seriously had to contemplate taking them) and the reflection you completed wherein you clearly considered potential problems such as liability in detail. While I may have missed it, I didn’t clearly see what kind of return investors could expect given the $50,000 ask, so incorporating that would be my greatest recommendation to improve appeal to potential investors. That said, this site was a pleasure to review, and I hope my kids have more platforms available to them in the future! Cheers!
FEEDBACK: Hi Robyn – Slick pitch, loved the visual appeal of it along with the information throughout! I think this is an interesting idea too – I especially love the experiential learning component and connection between industry/students. My one comment is that I would have a hard time convincing our HR team to pay the fee until it is a proven concept. What if we pay the fee and don’t get anyone suitable to work with us? I would rather have an opportunity to waive the inital $2000 fee and potentially pay a higher percentage for the project if we find someone (12% instead of 10%?). Thanks!
Feedback: Hi Robyn, I think connecting fresh talent with companies for specific deliverables is a fantastic idea. As someone who manages projects, I can think about numerous scenarios that this could help me. I also see why it would be beneficial to the students to gain knowledge, expertise, and a foot in the door. The only feedback I have is around the “Business Model” and the pricing structure. As someone who usually has a tight budget for projects, the numbers are slightly too high. I could see having some approval challenges from my chain of command, for something that could cost the project 5K-20K.
REVIEW: Hi Robyn. Nice elevator pitch! You introduce a problem which is limited experience. Build off from other ventures, I think complementing your problem with statistics on unemployment can also help bring some logical persuasive appeals into your presentation. MicroXplore reminds me a lot about post-secondary internship and co-op opportunities. I see the opportunity to review and be contacted in the future as one differentiating factor from normal co-op opportunities. I really liked how you showed how MicroXplore is different than other competitors in a table. I think this can be an investable opportunity; I would like to see how one can bring post-secondary students into this market (if that is your target market) and how you would distinguish yourself to them.
FEEDBACK: This idea is awesome in that it promotes project-based learning. This is also good in that it is a platform of curated resources that offer opportunities for students looking for internships so it can be a great starting point for young people. I do wonder if this platform will attract those who are more introverted and those who may want to avoid more of the in-person networking activities and encounters. For example, how does it compare to activities that provide readiness and soft skills necessary for networking and the soft skills people would otherwise develop by making informational interviews, calling, making conversation face to face? I might be prone to think that high functioning people may possess the skills to do the research online on their own and then just get out there. For instance, how is this different from job fairs in general and specific industries besides it being online? What are the benefits of it being online VS a face to face event where young people are meeting people in real-time and get to make a first impression and other connections?
REVIEW: Hi Robyn, I would be interested to see where this venture could go as your idea is a good one! I like the concept of micro-internships, as it is less of a commitment both for students and companies and would likely offer students a greater breadth of experience which would help them decide where to focus their future career hunt. My main concern is with your billing model: although I understand how important it is for students to earn a living wage, I am wondering how enthusiastic companies would be to pay $20/hr + annual fees + fees per project in exchange for an inexperienced worker who may require a fair amount of training before they can provide useful work. On the flip side, I was also interested that you mentioned that your company would pay the students on completion of the project- is this the case even with 300 hour projects? That seems like a lot of time to be waiting for a pay cheque. I’m wondering if there could be an option of offering volunteer internships as well, in order to provide work for the most inexperienced students? Apart from my billing questions though, I could see this as being beneficial for both students and businesses, so I would certainly be interested in getting more information in order to be convinced to invest! Also, great elevator pitch- it certainly caught my attention!
[FEEDBACK] This was a very high level pitch, it looked and felt very professional. Well done! During the pitch I was hoping to see some data that would support the need for your idea, perhaps how big the projected market is, and how much of that market you might be able to tap into? What is the timeline from initial investment to a return on investment, and what does that value look like? Would you focus on certain internships and become the leading expert in an industry before moving on to the next or would you broaden out immediately and attempt to locate internships for various types of internships? I think the idea has some merit, students need internships in order to graduate high school but also could take value in having the opportunity to network and try out professions they are thinking about trying.
Feedback: Well done Venture Pitch Robyn! You laid out a need that I think many people entering the workforce would see a benefit too. I know a number of people who do the hiring in their companies. What they are seeing in this current job market is time spent developing and training an employee and then that employee moves onto other ventures quickly, which can be very frustrating for employers. Your venture allows for short term commitments and the onus is on the new to the market to produce. It also allows for those new to the workforce to build experience in their field. I think you could also expand (diversify) this into a training field for high schoolers. It builds on the concepts of internships, but they could try out being exposed to different aspects of a wide variety of jobs. I teach Careers and other than ‘take your kid to work day’ it’s hard to expose students to aspects of jobs beyond those in the students small network.
Hi Robyn,
Fantastic venture! There is a significant disconnect between employers and students. Higher education institutions have departments such as Career and Placement Centres (CAPS), but they can’t always meet the needs of all professions, plus they often include campus employment. Students graduate and employers expect them to have the skills, so this venture also meets that need. I have seen the US platforms but did not know they did not exist in Canada. I have one question why your initial target market is Western Canada. Is that due to funding or the location of the founder? I see this venture as the initial target being across Canada. I would definitely invest. Excellent OER.