Pitch Perfect: DCB Innovators at the Bullpen of Champions

On Saturday, 19 April, five creative and driven teams from Dulwich College Beijing's Shark Tank programme took the stage in the final round of Ascend Now’s Bullpen of Champions. Competing against standout teams from Dulwich College Seoul and Jayshree Periwal International School, they pitched bold business ideas in the hopes of securing seed funding and making their entrepreneurial visions a reality.

The students have spent months working closely with external business mentors, diving into key enterprise concepts—from pricing strategies to new product development — honing their entrepreneurial skills to create impactful solutions to real-world problems.

At the final pitch, the participating teams all brought their A-game, confidently presenting to our panel of distinguished “Sharks”:

• Fraser White, Founder & CEO of EiM,
• Zhen Liu, CEO of Verdant Vista Capital and a DCB parent, and
• Stone Shi, a partner at Hillhouse Investment.

The Sharks posed challenging and insightful questions — designed to either deepen understanding or expose potential gaps — creating a dynamic, high-stakes atmosphere.

Mr Shi, who joined us as a judge for the first time this year, praised the experience, saying that programmes like this is what sets Dulwich schools apart, giving students real-world exposure to opportunities to develop their entrepreneurial mindset. “When they pitch to future investors, they’ll face the same questions. It’s a great training in confidence, communication, and collaboration.”

Mr White shared his nugget of wisdom with anyone who wants to become an entrepreneur or develop entrepreneurial skills: "You shouldn't care if you are first, second, third, or not even placed, in the competition. The most successful entrepreneurs, artists, and innovators didn't always come first — but they were so confident in themselves. Don't just believe what we or anyone says. If you believe in your idea, prove the naysayers wrong. You're not going to get it all right at the outset; no battle plan survives confrontation with the enemy without adaptation. Be flexible. People will question you — what makes you think you can make it work? Believe in yourself."

Ms Liu added: “This was fantastic because it’s very close to reality. The generation of entrepreneurs has shifted, and many successful Silicon Valley entrepreneurs started in high school.” She also encouraged students to embrace emerging technologies like AI, saying that it’s going to be a big part of the future.

Arianna Sasia, Ascend Now Coordinator, couldn’t help but be proud of how the programme had reached a new level this year, saying, “Not only did the DCB students collaborate more effectively as teams, drawing on their own life experiences to develop unique ideas, but we also expanded the initiative to include two additional schools from other countries. This allowed students to observe and learn from one another, and most importantly, to have fun together in such a dynamic, one-of-a-kind event. Entrepreneurship is a lifelong learning journey. The lessons learned here will help shift students’ mindsets from simply identifying problems to actively finding solutions. I can’t wait for the next one!”

Mike L, one of our student entrepreneurs, shared his motivation for taking part in the programme: “I joined for two reasons: I love business—and I need the money to actually develop my idea.”

Mike’s product, the SLH Watch, was inspired by his grandfather, who suffered a heart attack when Mike was six. “He might still be alive if help had arrived sooner. I realised how dangerous it is when people can’t access emergency care, especially the elderly.”

His innovation is a simple, user-friendly emergency watch that alerts both emergency services and designated contacts and is more affordable for the average user. It boasts faster response times and a more intuitive design than smartwatch counterparts and isn’t as prone to accidental activation as wearable disability alarms available in the UK.

Ms Emma Goldie, DCB’s Head of Business Studies, who coordinated the programme here at DCB, shared how proud she is of the students and the efforts they put into their work. “Saturday was the culmination of months of hard work and dedication, some of them have been part of the CCA since August. I couldn’t be prouder of our students. For many, it was their first time presenting on stage, let alone to such an esteemed panel of judges. Their confidence, creativity, and resilience were on full display. I can’t wait to see how their ideas evolve, and it’s clear we have some very successful entrepreneurs in the making.

I want to give particular thanks to Lauren Y in Year 12 IB Business Management, who mentored winner Mike throughout the programme. She showed incredible responsibility, guiding him through weekly sessions and supporting his product development and pitch. Mike himself said he’d hire her as his CEO — a testament to her leadership and commitment.

I was also hugely impressed by YummiPlate, an edible plate designed to reduce waste — tasty enough for children to eat and, according to our judges, reminiscent of cereal biscuits! Glamify tackled fast fashion by helping users reimagine outfits using clothes they already own. FreshGuard aimed to reduce food waste through a clever app linked to QR codes on supermarket receipts, reminding users when items were due to expire and suggesting recipes to use them up. And Sportify provided a sustainable solution for students to buy and sell second-hand sports equipment, reducing unnecessary purchases while supporting active lifestyles.

It was particularly inspiring to see how many of these projects aligned with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals — from responsible consumption and production to good health and wellbeing. These students aren’t just thinking like entrepreneurs; they’re thinking like global citizens.

I’m especially excited to be teaching a number of these talented students next year — the future of business is in very good hands.”

Reflecting on the event, our Head of College Anthony Coles remarked to the participants: “It’s been a wonderful learning experience for the students. My hope that you take these transferable skills into your academic study and maybe your future careers.”

Thank you to all who joined us, and we look forward to hearing more about how these enterprising youth take these projects forward!

The programme is one example of how, at Dulwich College Beijing, we encourage our students to deepen their understanding by pursuing curiosity-driven, hands-on, and relevant experiences that spark exploration beyond the classroom.