First COD Pitch Contest Winner Running a Successful Business

GLEN ELLYN, Ill., Feb. 15, 2017 -- When Ellee Crawford was in the seventh grade, she wanted an iPhone just like her friends had.

Ellee Crawford from Wheaton has won the inaugural Pitch Contest sponsored by COD’s Entrepreneurship Club and E2 business mentoring program. She is using the first prize of $1,000 to continue funding her business, Small Pets and Company, which she operates online through Etsy and has now expanded to Amazon Prime.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/015142b8-8212-4a88-a0f8-91ce1341318d

Crawford’s parents told her that she needed to earn the money to purchase one. So she decided to do just that. But instead of finding a part-time job, Crawford decided to launch her own business.

Now the 16-year-old College of DuPage student from Wheaton has won the inaugural Pitch Contest sponsored by COD’s Entrepreneurship Club and E2 business mentoring program. She is using the first prize of $1,000 to continue funding her business, Small Pets and Company, which she operates online through Etsy and has now expanded to Amazon Prime.

In addition to Crawford, Stephen Schroeder of West Chicago finished second and received $500 while William Storm of Naperville finished third and received $250. Click here to watch the Pitch Contest.

Peter James, Assistant Professor of Business at COD, said the Entrepreneurship Club helps students get excited about pursuing their own ventures. During the recent Pitch Contest, which was part of a business and career day funded through the College of DuPage Foundation’s Resource for Excellence program, participants had five minutes to describe their ideas to a panel of judges. The pitches included such information as target audiences, supply and demand, and how the prize money would be used if won.

“It didn’t matter whether participants already had established a business or were planning something new. We just wanted them to be excited about their ideas and have the opportunity to explain them to a group of people,” he said. “The Entrepreneurship Club and E2 program are places where students can discover that they don’t have to work for someone else the rest of their lives to be successful.

“As for Ellee, her pitch was excellent. She demonstrated a maturity and a detailed knowledge of her business and customer base.”

Crawford developed her entrepreneurial spirit at an early age and would read books about starting a business, daydreaming about what she would own someday. Her father, Bill, provided inspiration as he has begun several businesses, including his current enterprise, Rainmaker Internet Marketing.

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Press contact: Joe Moore, Vice President for Marketing and Communications, (630) 942-2371.