Six high school teams from Armada, Dakota, and Lake Shore high schools, along with three Macomb Community College students, participated in the Macomb Innovates: The Next Big Thing pitch competition on April 22. The event was organized by the college’s Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and challenged thirteen finalists to propose ideas that could improve everyday life before a panel of judges from education, business, and the community.
The competition is intended to help students build confidence and real-world skills. Tanya Balcom, faculty-in-residence at the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, said, “This event is about students doing something they’ve never done before. When given an opportunity and a little guidance, students step outside their comfort zones, gain confidence, learn how to accept feedback and truly discover what they’re capable of accomplishing.”
Emma Buckland from Armada High School won first place in the high school division with her idea called Snap Stand—a portable phone stand that uses voice control and an app with artificial intelligence-powered photo editing features. Buckland said her invention addresses issues like cost or instability found in existing products. “My idea came from something very real in my own life,” said Buckland. “When my family travels, it’s hard to get a photo where everyone fits. I wanted to create something simple that actually solves that problem.”
In the college division, Kayley Zanotti of Shelby Township received first place for What’s for Dinner—an app using artificial intelligence to suggest recipes based on photos of ingredients available at home while considering dietary restrictions or allergies. Zanotti said about her project: “I honestly started this as an experiment. But going through the process helped me realize this could actually be a useful, real-world solution.”
Ellen Lux, director of workforce and continuing education at Macomb Community College said events like these allow students to apply their ideas beyond traditional classroom settings: “Macomb Innovates allows students to bring ideas they’ve been developing and present them in a real-world environment,” Lux said. “It gives students exposure and experience that they wouldn’t otherwise have.”
All participating high schoolers received $500 scholarships from the Macomb Community College Foundation toward tuition or books; winners also received trophies designed by media arts students while Zanotti earned a $1,000 prize from the foundation.
The event included an exhibitor showcase featuring student-led projects such as robotic dogs programmed in makerspace classes as well as culinary ice sculptures.