Jun 21

Jun 21 Local entrepreneurs heading into the 'Walleye Tank' to compete for investment

Entrepreneurs in biotech and life sciences are hoping to make a splash in Rochester this Friday at the first-ever "Walleye Tank” pitch competition.

Inspired by ABC’s Shark Tank, the Walleye Tank will bring together more than 15 growing business and companies from Rochester, as well as the neighboring area, in hopes of promoting local growth. The event is being organized by Dr. Stephen Ekker, of Mayo Clinic, along with several organizations such as BioAM, Mayo Clinic Ventures, Mayo Clinic Research and DMC.

Contestants will have a chance to battle it out competing in three categories. To compete they will have two minutes to pitch an idea or business proposal to a panel of judges, as well as an in-house audience. The panel of judges is made up of local leaders in biotechnology and business.

For BioAM founder Jamie Sundsbak, Walleye Tank is not the first time he’s tried to promote local business. Rather, his company BioAM was created for the purpose of aiding other business seeking to expand and grow locally.

He said his mission with events like Walleye Tank is to keep empowering the community. "By getting all those people in a room, amazing things happen, and that’s kind off the thesis of what we’re trying to do.”

Walleye Tank will be held on Friday June 24, from 2-4 p.m. at the Medical Sciences Building. The event (RSVP here) is free to the public and will be followed up by a Q&A session between contestants and judges at Café Steam.

About Nicholas Molina: Nicholas is a summer intern for the Med City Beat. Nicholas first moved to Rochester in 2000 but since then has lived in three other cities, including a two-year period he spent living in South America. When he’s not working, Nicholas enjoys traveling to different countries.