Seven young entrepreneurs from the Dubuque area dazzled a panel of local business professionals Wednesday night during the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce's inaugural Investor Panel Event.

Designed to mimic the popular ABC television show "Shark Tank," the event gave local middle and high school students a chance to share their plans for new businesses and ask investors for the necessary capital to get these ideas off the ground. The event was held at the Holiday Inn Dubuque-Galena in downtown Dubuque.

All seven presenters were members of Dubuque's Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a year-long class that aims to prepare students for the challenges and opportunities awaiting in the business world.

During six-minute presentations, participants laid out short- and long-term goals, sales projections, operating costs and market analysis for their products.

A group of 10 panelists from the local business community distributed a total of $5,000 to fund the projects, awarding capital based on the merit of the ideas presented.

Panelist Dean Beresford, Community Bank President at U.S. Bank in Dubuque, said he was floored by the quality of the presentations.

"I was astounded by their preparation," he said. "The hardest part was to not fully fund everyone."

Bryan Keck, a seventh-grader attending Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School, earned $1,500 and the chance to represent Dubuque in a national Young Entrepreneurs Academy event.

Keck designed a product with Bluetooth-enabled earbuds that attach directly to sunglasses. Despite recently winning the 28th annual TH Media Spelling Bee, he said he was anxious before presenting his idea.

"It was a bit nerve-wracking for me," he said. "I had spent 19 weeks getting ready for this."

Erin Scott, also a Roosevelt seventh-grader, was given $1,500 to support her business, Peaked Water Bottles. Scott designed a convenient water bottle targeted for on-the-go consumers that features a food compartment.

She said she has learned about the complexities behind starting a business during her time with the Young Entrepreneurs Academy.

"I didn't think starting a business would be this difficult," she said. "There's a lot more that goes into it than meets the eye."

Other entreprenuers who took part included: Daniel Ibarra, a 13-year-old Roosevelt student who created a business that makes gluten-free cookies; Brooke Welp, a senior at Cuba City (Wis.) High School who designed a website that posts social events and activities for area teenagers; Brayde Hansen, an eighth-grader at George Washington Middle School who designed a Web-based photography company; John Lockwood, a senior at Hempstead High School who created a production company named Before Kings Creative; and Jonathan Schultz, a seventh-grader at Washington who designed a sports website featuring articles, polls, stats and fun facts.

Molly Grover, president and CEO of the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, deemed the event a major success.

"It exceeded my expectations," Grover said. "I was so impressed by the innovation, the talent, and the competency of our young entrepreneurs."