Tiger Cage

Entrepreneurial spirit took center stage on April 17 as students stepped into the spotlight for Tiger Cage, a new competition inspired by the hit show Shark Tank. The idea was brought forward by Alejandro Lopez Doriga Hurtado ’28, a leader of the Venture Capital Club, who co-organized the event alongside Cecilia Hellandsvik ’27, president of the Girls’ Investment Club. Together, the Venture Capital Club and the Girls’ Investment Club collaborated to bring the event to life, aiming to spark entrepreneurial thinking among their peers.

Held in the Jeanice Seaverns Performing Arts Center, the competition challenged students to develop and pitch original business or product ideas to a panel of five judges. Serving as hosts for the evening were Venture Capital Club leaders Constantine Georgiopoulos ’26 and Alejandro Lopez Doriga Hurtado ’28, who guided the audience through a night of innovation and creativity. With confidence and originality on full display, participants made their cases, hoping to turn vision into reality.

The judging panel brought together a mix of alumni perspective and real-world expertise, including two Suffield Academy alumni, Head of the Investment Club Rhys Wilson ’26, Dean of Students Greg Lynch, and the CFO of a technology company.

Four groups presented their ideas:

Sefa ’28 and Mana Petrini ’28 introduced CleatsforKids, a nonprofit aimed at building a network that connects donors with communities lacking access to athletic resources. The initiative would establish Delivery Hubs at prep schools across New England—currently including Cardigan Mountain School and Suffield Academy—where donated equipment could be collected and redistributed to communities in need. The project also includes a website to highlight participating hubs, showcase impact, and accept monetary donations, with funds reinvested directly into the initiative.

Alex Post ’27 and Damian Bond ’27 presented Rack Rack, a digital shopping hub that learns users’ style through a swipe-based onboarding experience. Each “like” (right swipe) adds two points to a corresponding style category, gradually refining personalized recommendations.

Andy Kim ’27 and Sean Kwon ’27 pitched StRipes, a school lunch app designed to help students pre-order meals, view menus, receive lunch announcements, and reduce food waste.

Anthony Boniface ’28 introduced Diversity, a clothing brand created by four friends from different ethnic backgrounds, centered on promoting peace and unity through fashion.

By the end of the night, it was the Petrini duo who earned the $1,000 prize to help continue bringing CleatsforKids to life.

With a successful debut, Tiger Cage offered more than a competition—it created a platform for innovation, collaboration, and bold thinking, setting the stage for future student entrepreneurs to take their ideas even further. The next initiative from the Girls’ Investment Club will focus on building mock investment portfolios using the MarketWatch platform.