This year’s Hawk Tank Business Plan Competition participants put in months of hard work to prepare their perfect pitches for the much-anticipated annual event. Hawk Tank is open to teams led by current college students, recent graduates, and Four Corners area high school students. This year, five Fort Lewis College teams, two San Juan College teams, two recent alumni teams, and two high school teams competed.
Their pitches ranged from outdoor gear companies to luxury streetwear brands and everything in between. The variety of business ideas highlighted the underlying purpose of the Hawk Tank competition—to give students the tools they need to realize their dreams.
Additionally, this Hawk Tank Business Plan Competition was the first held in person since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic. “It’s exciting to be back in person celebrating student success,” said Micheal Valdez, Fort Lewis College professor of Management, in his opening speech. “It’s amazing to see the collaboration between Fort Lewis College and San Juan College.”
The Hawk Tank Gala began with a cocktail reception accompanied by the Fort Lewis College Jazz Ensemble. The Gala would see $22,000 in prizes distributed between the four tracks: the FLC track, SLC track, alumni track, and high school track. Participants competed throughout the day by giving their pitches to a panel of judges.
Before the winners were announced, attendees were treated to a meal and a keynote speech from Jacquelene McHorse (Spanish, ’11), cofounder of Bison Star Naturals, a company that produces natural body care products. McHorse encouraged participants to push past adversity: “Not everybody's going home with a prize,” she said. “If you don't take home a prize, I think that will give you just as much strength. There are a million different ways you can acquire capital for your business, and sometimes adversity is what is going to get you to the next level.”
Throughout the Gala, McHorse’s message rang true. The evening was not just a celebration of the Hawk Tank winners but also all of the participants' forward-thinking, entrepreneurship, and willingness to collaborate and set high expectations. “Hawk Tank is so important because it allows students to use creativity,” said James Sanders III, professor of Communications at San Juan College. “The competition gives students the confidence to come in with only an idea, regardless of whether they’re an English or Biology major, and bring their ideas to life.”
Faculty weren’t the only ones in the wings to support participants—many industry leaders were also present at the Gala. A bevy of local and nationwide businesses sponsored the 7th annual event, including Swan Global Investments, Southwest Colorado Small Business Development Center, the Community Foundation, the San Juan College Foundation, the Wells Group, J Bo’s Pizza & Rib Co., and Durango Hot Springs. The title sponsor for the event was Baird Wealth Management, a multinational investment bank. The number of sponsors at the event increased the visibility of students for recruitment in the future.
“ "It’s amazing to see all the business leaders here. It's also amazing to see all my teachers here, and I think it is so important just for students of not only the Business program but also every program to get their ideas out there, be able to speak their minds, and put forth what they love into the world." RUBIE TROTTER
"It’s amazing to see all the business leaders here. It's also amazing to see all my teachers here, and I think it is so important just for students of not only the Business program but also every program to get their ideas out there, be able to speak their minds, and put forth what they love into the world."
“It’s amazing to see all the business leaders here,” said Rubie Trotter, a senior studying Biology and Entrepreneurship & Small Business. “It's also amazing to see all my teachers here, and I think it is so important just for students of not only the Business program but also every program to get their ideas out there, be able to speak their minds, and put forth what they love into the world.”
After the keynote speech, there was a brief recognition of the 2021 Hawk Tank Business Plan Competition participants who were unable to celebrate last year in person. The event concluded with the announcement of the Hawk Tank winners:
High School Track:
Alumni Track:
SJC Track:
FLC Track:
Grand Prize Winner of SJC and FLC Student Tracks:
Steven Elias, dean of the School of Business Administration, gave a few comments at the event's conclusion. “Hawk Tank was amazing,” he said. “What makes it so impactful at the end of the day is that it teaches the next generation to be entrepreneurs.”
Former Fort Lewis College cyclist Savilia Blunk captured a pair of national titles at the USA Cycling Cross Country Mountain Bike National Championship.
Durango artist Maddie Sanders (Communication Design, '21) contributed to a collaborative art and science exhibit that will make the Colorado State Capitol home for the next five months. Sanders worked with CU Boulder scientists Nicole Brooks and Diane McKnight to create "Durango: Mining the Mineral Belt." Their work explores the relationship between acid mine and acid rock drainage in the Colorado Mineral Belt and the effect it has on natural waterways.
FLC cyclist Michaela Thompson won her gravel race debut alongside teammates Sarah Sturm (Art, ‘12) and Ellen Campbell (Biology, '20).
For more meaningful relationships and fuller lives, Charlie Rogers (Exercise Physiology, '22) is helping Durangoans create community through play and movement.
Installation artist Chris Erickson (Art, '94) is leading the city of Aspen's first-ever public art installation. The project is a temporary street mural, and community members are invited to help paint it from start to finish.
The Center for Indigenous Health held a graduation ceremony for seven Indigenous scholars receiving advanced degrees from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, including FLC alumna Natalie Joe (Cellular & Molecular Biology and Biochemistry, '16), who spoke to Native News Online about her achievement.