Story by Kimberly Hsueh
Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Kathy Mason
Contributor
The Varsity and JV Virtual Business teams attended their regional competition at Rio Hondo College on Tuesday, Dec. 10.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) senior Chloe Lovejoy and the varsity virtual business plan team entered the competition with their company focused on selling tiny houses — ARCH.
The team originally proposed ARCH to address the national housing crisis and homeless population, marketing their homes towards those who desire to be home owners, but currently do not have the financial backing to purchase or rent a house.
ARCH has also collaborated with Ascencia, a homeless shelter organization in Glendale, in hopes of developing houses that are socially and environmentally conscious and sustainable.
ARCH presented its ideas to a panel of judges with a written and oral presentation, competing against numerous other companies in the Los Angeles area. Both JV and Varsity sent teams of six to compete for Business Plan, with the hope of being one of the 42 qualifying semi-final teams.
The Varsity Virtual Business Plan team iKOMO placed first at the National Business competition at Microsoft Headquarters in New York City last year. Lovejoy hopes to continue the Virtual Business Plan team’s success with ARCH.
“I’ve developed so many amazing relationships with not only our business plan team — who spends many hours outside of school to research, write, and rehearse — but the company as a whole,” Lovejoy said. “Everyone is incredibly passionate about what our company promotes and ensuring we make the most of the year.”
The teams will receive their results in late December, which will determine whether ARCH will move on to the semi-final competitions in Bakersfield on Jan. 15 and 16.
