MOUNT L.E.O. PROGRAM STUDENTS INVENT HALLOWEEN NOVELTY PRODUCTS

On Friday, Oct. 27th, Mrs. Christine Victori’s two L.E.O. junior cohorts presented their Halloween products to the class. The goal was to create useful and currently non-existent Halloween products for the season that solve a current problem or need. The students worked in groups to come up with their ideas, create slides and commercials. Interestingly, many of the students invented products that sorted candy, tracked trick-or-treaters, or provided details on what type of candy houses were passing out, and what houses to avoid. Others created products to keep trick-or-treaters warm, and to make carrying large bags of candy easier. Key takeaways were that the students enjoyed learning about: teamwork; discovering how to price for profits on products that have one use a year; how to create slides that sell, without cluttering them with words; being able to talk more without reading; and how to keep customers.

The L.E.O. Program is a two-year intensive that starts in the junior year and is taught by faculty, business experts, and professional entrepreneurs, encompassing the full life cycle of creating a business or product from ideation to launch, with the focus on leadership, entrepreneurship, and opportunities.

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The Halloween products were as follows:

PICK A TREAT PUMPKIN: (Created by Abigail Amaty, Lynzi Strus, Nicky Higgins and Samantha Flo Rito). The students invented a large attractive pumpkin with an interior storage and sorting system. The goal was to prevent trick-or-treaters from taking too much candy, stealing it all, or even absconding with the candy bowl, when candy was left outside of someone’s home with a note to “take1.” In addition, this product enabled trick-or-treaters with allergies to make non-allergic candy choices by choosing via the labeled buttons. The students said that the item, which would be offered with a few different versions to choose from each year to entice customers to come back again, would sell for $80. They said it would create a stress-free and enjoyable night for trick-or-treaters and parents.

TAKE ONE – NO TRICKS, ONLY TREATS: (Created by Kate Wohlgemuth and Avery Cannataro). This product is similar to the one above and solves a problem for people who are not home, or who don’t want to answer the door for trick-or-treaters, and don’t want someone to take all of the candy at once. This candy dispenser has 7 compartments where different types of candy can be placed in each section, and trick-or-treaters can push a labeled button to choose the one piece of candy they desire. There is a built-in-camera for homeowners to use for safety and an App to assess how much candy is left. While Ring could be seen as a competitor, they explained that it doesn’t have a candy sorter. 

SPIN CANDY: (Created by Sophia Liwanag, Keira Tagliareni and Nyah Adiedo). This product serves the same purpose as the two above, however, it is also attractive and serves as Halloween decor, and has a light with a sensor on the bottom, which turns off when the candy is gone. In addition, while the other two items help prevent children with allergies from getting candy they could be allergic to, this product lets kids push a button to spin it and get one candy dispensed. It sells for $29.99, and has multiple decorative lids, which will change yearly to keep customers interested in coming back to purchase it again.  

TRACKING TREATS: (Created by Alessia Manna, Regina Salandra, Sabrina Heaney and Jenna Wall). This website and App, for children ages 8+, tracks what types of candy different houses are giving out, so trick-or-treaters can go to houses where they like what is being offered, and skip others. It also helps children avoid receiving candy they are allergic to. There is also a parent mode for tracking trick-or-treaters, which alleviates worry for parents. While there are competitors like Waze, this service is different because of the Halloween component. 

GHOST TRACK: (Created by Maya Tanella and Brooke Pita). This App is similar to the one above. One difference is that there are filters for candy size, candy type, and dietary and allergy candy details. The App also provides information on safest walking routes, path proximities, traffic, walking patterns, best haunted houses and their locations with details on how scary they are, and updates on houses that are out of candy. Kids can also leave reviews. 

TRICK O’ TRACK: (Created by Valerius Vedeliana, Mattea Cerbo, Mackenzie Williamson and Katya Ellenis). This App is similar to the two above, however, it differs because unlike the other two where only kids update the information, in this App, homeowners update the candy information too. Houses are listed as being Red (having candy that can cause an allergy) and Green (having non-allergy candy). In addition, the App is always monitoring the children’s whereabouts, even when the kids are not using the App, unlike its competitor Life 360. 

SWEETS UNLIMITED: (Created by Mary Hladik, Annaliese Abboud, Keira Manning and Evangelia Stoupakis). The students invented a vacuum-sealed bag geared for children ages 5-16 that will not only serve to keep candy fresh longer after the holiday ends, it will help disperse the candy in the bag to condense space, as it is collected. It uses a sensor to drop and seal the candy in one of three compartments. The students said that candy bags often fill up fast and make it hard for trick-or-treaters to keep going when they run out of room for candy in their bags. To keep customers coming back year-after-year, the students said they would keep updating the bags’ exterior designs, and price them fairly at $29.99 for one and $45 for two bags.

PUMPKIN SKINS (Created by Melia Hillman, Jaritza Sanchez, Vesela Busch and Isabella Dressler). These students invented thin, insulated thermal shirts to keep trick-or-treaters warm, so they don’t need to wear jackets on Halloween and can show off their costumes. The shirts come in many colors to match costumes and skin tones, making them an inclusive item. They sell for $20-$35 depending on whether a premade or custom color is chosen. The large variety of colors differentiates them from competitors like Under Armour. In addition, they are multi-purpose apparel, as they can be worn any time a person wants to be warm, not just on Halloween.