Chestnut Hill graduating senior Colin Salas takes first place in the Expop High School Startup Challenge with his calming children’s wellness venture.
A classroom idea becomes a real venture
Chestnut Hill graduating senior Colin Salas emerged as the top winner among hundreds of student entrepreneurs in the Expop High School Startup Challenge. His venture, Soothe Pops, offers all-natural chamomile-infused calming popsicles for toddlers and young children, giving parents a medication-free way to ease children into bedtime.
Salas’ first-place finish earned him USD 2,500 in seed funding and the opportunity to learn from top Ivy League entrepreneurs in the Expop program. The idea began with a challenge faced by countless families: making bedtime easier.
Building through feedback and iteration
Soothe Pops evolved from its original concept through customer feedback, testing, and repeated iteration. Salas took the venture beyond the classroom, sought advice from local entrepreneurs, explored retail opportunities, and sold at neighbourhood events, farmers’ markets, and festivals throughout Chestnut Hill.
Expop helped transform a successful student-run venture into a more structured business by focusing Salas on target audiences, customer feedback, financial tracking, marketing, and the foundations of a real business. As he prepares to attend the University of Pennsylvania’s College of Arts and Sciences, he plans to keep building on the lessons learned through Soothe Pops and Expop.
