Earlier this year, UW-Milwaukee student Mitchelle Lyle took home first place in the 2023 WiSys Big Idea Tournament – a first for UW-Milwaukee. Mitchelle has a Bachelors and Masters of Science in Industrial and System Engineering and is currently studying French. “I didn’t have time [for the French degree] in graduate school, so I wanted to make sure I finished the language before I forgot it.” Her startup, International Travel Advisor (ITA), works to support remote workers and innovators living abroad by simplifying international travel logistics and increasing sustainability and security in the workplace. LEC Program Manager Tiera Trammell sat down with Mitchelle to discuss her past, present, and future with ITA and her experiences with the WiSys Big Idea Tournament – read on to learn more.
The WiSys Big Idea Tournament (or WBIT) is a statewide competition open to students enrolled in the UW System, focusing on the entrepreneurs’ journey and experience with Lean Launch methodology. The tournament consists of participants performing a 90-second pitch followed by 4-and-a-half minutes of questions from a panel of judges. There are two tiers of competition; a local qualifier at each UW college and the state championship. The winner of each regional qualifier has the opportunity to compete at the state championship tournament.
Mitchelle first learned about the WBIT during her time with the Lubar Business Innovation Incubator. She learned about this program from LEC Director Brian Thompson after meeting one night at the Sherman Phoenix Marketplace. At this point, she had just finished registering her business and was starting on customer discovery.
“Oddly, I was following up weeks later and [Brian] mentioned the deadline for the Incubator WBIT was tomorrow. I went over my business a bit more and he mentioned that I would be a good fit for the Incubator… I learned a lot from a legal perspective and intellectual property. A lot of pieces around building a team, understanding the Business Model Canvas. It helped me organize my thoughts in a way that I can execute. Having connections to other participants over the 6 months, being able to connect with them and see how their businesses are going, and seeing how we can support each other. That has been really helpful.”
After pitching, receiving feedback, and taking first place from the local UWM qualifier, Mitchelle prepared for the state final WBIT competition. She recalled feeling a mix of exhilaration and nervousness. “But I was excited about competing and making sure my understanding of the BMC was being conveyed in a way that the judges would understand.” Mitchelle worked with Brian and Tiera on optimizing the conciseness of her story to fit within the allotted time.
“I appreciated being put on the spot to make sure that what I was saying was the most important, pull out the things that were most aligned with the criteria defined for us. The WBIT is specifically focused on the journey, and the investor pitch is market validation, profit, things of that nature. So, the communication needed to be adjusted to make sure I was telling an appropriate story for the audience.”
After plenty of time refining, restructuring, and reciting, it was time for the big event. Mitchelle had placed a lot of her focus on making sure her pitch was under time, addressed all the metrics given by the panel of judges, and had as much punch as possible. After the introductions were over it was time for the pitching to begin. It was at this point that she picked up on something that the other contestants were missing: “As I watched other pitches, I realized that other presenters didn’t tweak their pitch to match the [judges’] criteria. It gave me more confidence that I knew my business, I knew my story. I just had to express it.” When it was her time to shine, Mitchelle knocked it out of the park. “I felt good while I was doing it. It’s always a positive feedback indicator when you see audience members nod and smile… I felt validated during the speed networking; each of [the judges] gave me positive feedback when I met with them.”
Finally, it was time for the results to come in. “I was so excited…when they called on me and took the pictures, I immediately took a picture of the certificate and sent it to my folks. It was fun getting all the congrats messages! I went by myself, so it was really nice to get that encouragement while I was leaving.”
On the drive back, Mitchelle talked with her sister and gave her a full rundown of the tournament. She appreciated having someone with whom she could share her thoughts and the challenges along the way. “Of course, being my sister, it was a very candid conversation.”
As a result of her victory, Mitchelle took home $2,500 and a registration to the 2023 SPARK Entrepreneurs’ Conference, where she will have the opportunity to showcase her Business Model Canvas. After that? “Getting my MVP (minimum viable product) out there. I need to revamp testing my channels via social media. Now I have a partner who is going to help me with collecting emails while I am putting social media posts out…I want to use this outlet to cultivate customers.” Mitchelle also feels that participating in the Lubar Business Innovation Incubator and the WBIT has helped her to grow and network. Additionally, she found that the Wisconsin Tech Council Entrepreneurs’ Conference was especially helpful. She recalls meeting with and learning about many other innovative-minded people, as well as getting a better understanding of avenues of funding and how other businesses are growing and adapting.
Towards the end of the interview, Mitchelle looked back on her journey thus far:
“I took a moment to reflect on how much I’ve grown personally and professionally while I’m carrying the title of CEO and Founder to build something I really believe in… I greatly appreciate the resilience and determination I’ve built and tapped into to get this far. A lot of motivation and pushes and access to resources, whether it’s programs or people, has come with my engagement with the LEC and the founder community. [It] has made me feel like this first year is great for my foundation and to lean on this community in the many years of success to follow.”
Mitchelle’s advice for succeeding in pitching tournaments, investor talks, and business as a whole?
“Don’t discount the criteria. Read it and know it. Understand that modifying your pitch is not modifying your business. You can stay true to what your business is while telling a story that aligns with the competition. Have the confidence that no one knows your business better than you.”
ITA has just celebrated its one-year anniversary – go Mitchelle!