Saline County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Results
The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce, in association with the Network Kansas E-Community Partnership, hosted its 11th annual Saline County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge at Salina Area Technical College on Thursday, March 5.
Twenty-four individuals and teams representing Salina South High School, Salina Central High School, and Ell-Saline Jr./Sr. High School presented their business concepts to teams of volunteer judges from the community for an opportunity to sharpen their business pitch skills and win cash prizes. The competition included a written executive summary, a formal presentation to judges, and a trade show display.
Winning students received a total of $1,200 in prize money from Network Kansas. The winning concepts were:
1st Prize ($500): Liam Deniau-Young, HiCo
2nd Prize ($350): Noah Peck, Peck Scrubs
3rd Prize ($200): Marshall Zuccarelli, Polished Panels
4th Prize ($100): Oscar Perez, OP Lawn Services
5th Prize ($50): Alibbea Mong, The Basket Boutique
People’s Choice Award ($25 Smoky Hill Silver): Hannah Miller, The Write Path
“The Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is truly my favorite day of the year. It is so much fun interacting with the students and hearing them pitch their creative ideas,” said Jaclyn Crow, Economic and Workforce Development Director with the Salina Area Chamber. “Thinking like an entrepreneur helps students become more confident in their ability to make decisions, take risks, and bounce back from failure. They may also develop a passion that could change the trajectory of their lives.”
In addition to prizes and recognition, the first-place finisher is automatically eligible to compete in the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge at Kansas State University in Manhattan. The event features top young entrepreneurs from schools across the state and is hosted in partnership with Network Kansas, K-State Research and Extension, and the K-State Center for the Advancement of Entrepreneurship.
The goal of the competition is to expose Kansas middle school and high school students to entrepreneurship and give them hands-on experience. Students’ work is judged by local volunteers who are entrepreneurs, public sector partners, teachers, or other professionals.
Visit Network Kansas online to learn more about Network Kansas and the E-Community Partnership.
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The Salina Area Chamber of Commerce was established in 1911. It is a not-for-profit 501(c)(6) organization made up of business leaders, industry representatives, professionals, and individuals working together to build a healthy economy, improve quality of life, and advocate for and elevate the economic prosperity of its members while serving as a catalyst for the community’s future.