This year, for the fifth-grade project-based task “Eco-Hotel,” we developed our business by using eco-friendly materials to create a renewable hotel in Villa de Leyva, we were aiming at being the best sustainable startup business in the Tank. Before Shark Tank, I shared the objectives we wanted to achieve with my group. Our goal was to make a strong presentation and, if possible, reach the finals.

During the finals, we focused our strategy on clearly presenting the benefits of our hotel and firmly stating how much money we needed. When we were negotiating on stage, we felt happy, as if we were achieving our goal, but also nervous because we were in front of parents and all fifth graders.

The hardest challenge in negotiating with Mr. David Padilla (a Shark) was convincing him to give us 45 thousand GPP. He only offered 40 thousand GPP, so I used the best argument I had: “You are offering me the amount of money you save by the 3-pack we are buying” referring to the sustainability certifications we received in class. Those certifications were the best card we could possibly play to get the investment we needed.

We persuaded him to give us 43 thousand GPP, which was the closest amount we could negotiate with our proposal. This experience made us reflect on how the real world works, but with determination and teamwork, we can achieve all our goals, just as we did in Shark Tank.