Pitching a business idea to a panel of community leaders sounds nerve-wracking, but it looked like no sweat for the winners of this year’s Scots Tank competition at Highland Park High School.
The students confidently and professionally presented their wearable adhesive patch during the Moody Advanced Professional Studies (MAPS) program’s annual Shark Tank-inspired competition. The SweatPatch, they explained, changes color based on how hydrated the wearer is, providing athletes with real-time insight.
“Uniquely with SweatPatch, they’ll be able to look down and see their results anytime, anywhere because the data is entirely visual,” Grady Cothrum said during the team’s presentation.
The students made it look easy, but Spencer Chernock said that a lot of time went into testing the product and preparing for the pitch. The students gained insight into how to design the product from Pool Warehouse, and learned about how to best help athletes by speaking with Dallas Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd, who recently visited the MAPS program and shared his leadership journey and experiences as an athlete and coach with the community.
“He gave really good insight,” Cothrum said of Kidd. “He was really supportive, and even when he was talking about what we could do to improve it — it was kind, it was really helpful.”
This year’s second-place winning pitch was TableTalk, an app that helps groups decide where to go out to eat. The app will even make reservations based on each group member’s preferences and dietary restrictions.
The third-place winner was team Flow Guard. Its members created smart valves that can automatically shut off water to properties in the event of leaks or burst pipes.
“What an amazing Scots Tank ’26! Our incredible teachers, Jean Streepey, Jill Lewis, and Bridget Myers, working with Polly McKeithen created an unforgettable experience for everyone involved in this project,” a post on the MAPS program’s Instagram page read.
Moody Innovation Institute Executive Director Geoffrey Orsak said 75 professionals from outside the school district volunteered to work with students or serve as Scots Tank judges this year.
“Special thanks go out to the 75 external professionals who gave of their time to either work directly with our student entrepreneurs or serve on one of our many judges panels, and to the Dad’s Club for contributing the prize money again this year,” a post on the MAPS Instagram page read. “No doubt, this year was the best Scots Tank yet!”
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