Parker Stromquist ‘21, winner of LCA’s Shark Tank Competition his senior year, decided to compete in the Fowler Business Concept Challenge at St. Thomas University where he currently attends school. 

“Focused on energizing the entrepreneurial spirit of St. Thomas students from across campus, the Fowler Business Concept Challenge encourages students to explore their potential, search out new opportunities and use the skills and knowledge they have acquired to make a difference in the world.” 

Round one of the Fowler Challenge requires a written submission of a product. The preliminary judges then select 16 people to move to the semifinals where they present directly to a judge panel. 

In presenting his product, APE, Stromquist utilized techniques taught in Legacy’s business department: grabbing attention with bold facts, explaining the why not the what, highlighting costs that pair with revenue streams, directly transitioning from problem to solution, and finishing with the competitive advantage.

Stromquist placed 4th out of a field of over 60 contestants in the annual event which is open to both undergraduate and graduate students at St. Thomas University. In speaking to Dan Nelson, the Business Teacher at Legacy, Stromquist recalls how the business classes at Legacy really prepared him for the entrepreneurship competition at St. Thomas. He explains, “There were certainly a lot of parallels between your class content and the desired Fowler competition content.”