German School Students Receive GER Business Prize

On Wednesday, June 19, 2013 10th graders at the German School Washington D.C. in Potomac, MD were awarded the renowned “GER Business Prize” by the German Executive Roundtable (GER). With their professionally developed business plans for a fictitious company the three top teams convinced the judging panel consisting of six German-speaking trade and industry representatives. The award includes prize money of up to $1000. 

Every woman knows this problem: Your closet is bursting out the seams but you cannot bring yourself to sort out those precious pieces of clothing that you wore to your first date, your best friend’s wedding or your last big birthday party. With their enterprise “Exceptional” Camilla Beug of Silver Spring, Sophie Buben of Bethesda, Hanna Griesbeck-Garcia of Chevy Chase and Laura Uran of Arlington, all 16 years of age, found a way to keep the emotional value of old clothes and turn them into something new at the same time. Customers can send them their old dresses, shirts or jeans which the four girls then turn into baby blankets, purses or accessories – a concept they call “upcycling”. For this idea, they received the first price of $1000 in the “GER Business Price” competition. 

“It is fantastic that our school offers a competition like this. I have been able to network with a lot of local businesses and the project allowed us to learn the process of developing a business idea from start to finish”, Camilla Beug said. 

The second place with $700 went to the project “Gymtronic”. The four team members invented a sensor for athletes which is linked to a website where users can keep track of their performance and find advice on nutrition and training segments. Project “Avis Fenestre” won $300 in third place for designing a window film which is not only supposed to prevent birds from flying into glass windows but also protects from ultraviolet radiation and provides heat insulation.  

The six judges evaluated the business plans of the eight teams based on their economic soundness and the professional quality of the presentation. They were particularly impressed by the diligence and professionalism that the eight teams put into their projects. “The quality of the team’s presentations and business plans were outstanding this year. One of the exciting things was the diversity of projects from new technologies over animal welfare to consumer businesses. I am inspired by this practical interaction with the next generation of business leaders”, CEO of EDC Consulting and chairperson of the GER Uli Werner said.

Waldemar Gries, Head of School, added: “Our students have been working hard all school year on their analytical and presentation skills. The results show that their entrepreneurial mindset is alive and well. You never now, the next great company might be an idea in one of our classrooms or labs right now.”  

In cooperation with the German School Washington D.C., the “GER Business Prize” was brought to life by the German Business Council in 2008. The objective of the competition is to encourage entrepreneurial thinking among teenagers. Each year, several teams of 10th graders can participate in the competition by developing an idea for a fictitious business and elaborating a professional business plan throughout the course of the school year.