Photo Credit: Contributed

By: Brittania Witter

On Sunday, April 10, 2022, the Business and Secretarial Students’ Organization (BASSO) kicked off the first staging of its business pitch competition, Pitch Perfect, on Google Meet with five business-minded students from Northern Caribbean University (NCU) competing for $20,000 Jamaican dollars in prize money. 

Contestants were tasked with delivering their business pitches in seven to 10 minutes to a panel of three judges: Chantell Stewart, Marketing Officer for NCU, Quinell Ming, CEO of Cyanopy Media and Denielle Smith, President of BASSO. A two-minute question and answer segment followed where the contestants were asked about their pitches by the judges. 

Joshua Morgan, a first-year Computer Information System (CIS) major, copped first place with 33.5 points for his business idea of a Cyber Security company capable of using cyber defense software containing advanced Artificial Intelligence (AI) that monitors and defends networks. 

He shared a few words after winning, and he told everyone that they should anticipate his business coming to fruition.

“Thank you, and do look out for the business because it is coming. Once we employ more persons, we will become stronger and more prominent and hopefully become one of the best Cyber Security companies in the world,” Morgan said. 

Jestina Lewis, Vice President (VP) of Spiritual Affairs of BASSO and Michael Stewart came in second and third place with 28.33 points and 25.2 points respectively. 

The event featured a voted category called “People’s Choice Award,” where the audience chooses the participants they support the most. Romell Eubank won, Jestina Lewis and Joshua Morgan were first and second runner-up. 

 The VP of Social Affairs for BASSO and recently elected VP of Student Services and Social Affairs for the United Student Movement (USM), Jhunelle Wright, is responsible for creating Pitch Perfect. According to Wright, the competition was created with the intention of providing an opportunity for students to flex their entrepreneurial and creative minds.

 “This competition not only seeks to allow students the opportunity to tap into their creative mind regarding business but also to provide them with motivation and support,” Wright said.

Wright also added that it would be a good initiative for the upcoming VPs to have the Pitch Perfect competition become an annual event where more students are given the opportunity to refine their entrepreneurial ideas and hopefully execute them in the future.