The Dallas ISD middle school student’s “Different Pop” idea won a virtual business sales pitch sponsored by the Dallas Mavericks, mobile banking services provider CHIME, and education technology innovator EVERFI, Inc.

The students were to start a shoe company from scratch and then pitch and try to garner support – including financial – from the panel of judges.

Mongelli continued discussing her shoe business idea, adding that all people “have different tastes, or a different pop.

The recent business pitch competition closed out the year-long curriculum provided digitally to nearly 2,000 middle school students in a variety of school districts throughout the DFW Metroplex.

During the spring semester’s at-home learning, students were asked to build a business plan and pitch for a new sneaker brand.