Fifty-two teams from across Indiana will compete at a chance to go to the State Finals in June
Indianapolis - 24 March 2023 - The STARTedUP Foundation’s Innovate WithIN is the largest high school pitch competition in the country and has grown year-over-year - with 2023 being a record breaking year. There were nearly 2500 students signed up to compete with a 64% increase in the number of teams who submitted a finalized pitch, including sizzle reel, abstract, and well thought out lean business model canvas.
“While we have seen a growth in the number of pitches submitted, we have also seen a huge increase in the quality and thoughtfulness that each student team put forth when developing their business plan,” said Don Wettrick, co-founder and CEO of the STARTedUP Foundation. “It has been amazing for our team to witness the mindset shift in students across the state as they learn to view problems as opportunities."
Much of the reason for this growth is the expansion of the Indiana Innovation Educator Fellowship. In partnership with the Indiana Department of Education, thirty-five innovative educators from across the state were selected to participate in the 2022-2023 cohort, focusing on ways to encourage students to look at the world through the lens of an entrepreneur - identifying unique ways to fix the issues they see in their community, state or the world.
“I am incredibly encouraged by the passion these educators have for their students and know that the connections they make in their local communities and across the state will provide the foundation for so many valuable opportunities,” said Dr. Rebecca Estes, Senior Director of Educator Talent at the Indiana Department of Education.
This April, there will be fifty-two teams from across the state competing for ten spots in the State Finals taking place June 15th. There will be two teams selected from each of the five regions during the competitions hosted by: Purdue University, Purdue University Northwest, Purdue University Fort Wayne, University of Evansville, and IKORCC (Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters).
The Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) has been a consistent supporter of the Innovate WithIN program and has been critical in growing the competition to what it is today. All Innovate WithIN participants meet with their local Indiana Small Business Development Center, the IEDC’s small business technical assistance team, to prepare for the regional competition as they build and clarify their business plan, improve their pitches, and receive feedback from professionals in their field of interest.
“This year’s regional finalists inspire hope for the future of entrepreneurship in our state,” said David Watkins, Senior Vice President of Entrepreneurship and Small Business. “From cancer screening to recycling and everything in between, Indiana students are putting the entrepreneurial mindset to use to solve real world problems. Initiatives like Innovate WithIN are crucial to the continued growth of entrepreneurship and innovation in Indiana and our future economy.”
All individuals from across the state are invited to attend their local competition and experience these impressive student pitches. More details and registration information can be found at: startedupfoundation.org/pitch
The pitch competitions will take place on the dates below and include the following teams:
University of Evansville - Region 1
April 10th; 8:00AM - 1:00PM CST | RSVP to attend in person or join the livestream: startedupfoundation.org/region-1
Cruzin’ Cabs
Breanna Lawrence, Seymour Senior High School
Dr. Orthopedic
Claire Deardorff, Signature School Inc
Jennifer Vazquez, Signature School Inc
Fleetwise
Peyton Chitwood, The Academy of Science & Entrepreneurship
Legaltec
Jude Allaw, Signature School Inc
Ethan Hilton, Signature School Inc
Mann Patel, Signature School Inc
Music Makers
Aparna Kudiyirkkal Anil, Signature School Inc
Sreya Yelamanchili, Signature School Inc
Pure Pup
Rue Henderson, Mount Vernon High School
Kyra Rainey, Mount Vernon High School
Malley Wagner, Mount Vernon High School
Sid’s Studio
Siddhant Jain, Columbus North High School
Pet Prep
Jack Megnin, Bloomington High School South
Nolan Risen, Bloomington High School South
Noah Spicer, Bloomington High School South
Voluntabs
Jennie Amador, Signature School Inc
Nicole Diab, Signature School Inc
Grayson Koch, Signature School Inc
Z&M Promotions
Zayden Kinsey, New Tech Institute
Mathis Rogers, New Tech Institute
Purdue University - Purdue Innovates/Krannert School of Management (Region 2) April 26th; 8:00AM - 1:00PM EST | RSVP to attend in person or join the livestream: startedupfoundation.org/region-2
Afrotopia
Tumim Gebrewold, Speedway Senior High School
BoardUP
Kaden Barnhart, Zionsville Community High School
Diego Tangassi, Zionsville Community High School
Bussl
Kieron Bishop, Herron High School
Liam Green, Herron High School
Leland Rowe, Herron High School
Cancer Catch
Suhani Lodha, Carmel High School
Jacqueline Roth, Carmel High School
Clean Line
Nathan Dierckman, Carmel High School
Makayla Phillips, Carmel High School
Greene
Samuel Landers, Noblesville High School
Elysia Uggen, Noblesville High School
OxyHeal
Amogha Paleru, Carmel High School
Matthew Rao, Carmel High School
Pinpoint Toothpaste
Jack Kazmierczak, Carmel High School
Ready Set Go
Tylar Simpkiss, Carmel High School
Rooted Plastic
Gabriel Landin, Terre Haute North Vigo High School
Zachary McCammon, Terre Haute North Vigo High School
Justin Spencer, Terre Haute North Vigo High School
Uptown Gardens
Neva Verbik, Avon High School
IKORCC (Indiana/Kentucky/Ohio Regional Council of Carpenters) - Region 3 April 21st; 8:00AM - 1:00PM EST | RSVP to attend in person or join the livestream: startedupfoundation.org/region-3
Candle Elevator
Joelyn Ketner, Westfield High School
Natalie Khazal, Westfield High School
Morgan Rodgers, Westfield High School
Clyde’s Carryalls
Madelyn Henry, Oldenburg Academy
Jalyn Stenger, Oldenburg Academy
Clare Van Meter, Oldenburg Academy
Distributex
Ashton Burch, Westfield High School
Paul Williams, Westfield High School
Turner White, Westfield High School
Flamethrower Baseball
Jack Augenstine, Westfield High School
Seth Nanna, Westfield High School
Josh Wallwork, Westfield High School
Ho-oH Cleanser
Jaden Smith, Batesville High School
Ethan Wehr, Batesville High School
Osci Charge
Josiah Findley, Greenfield-Central High School
Ian Jack, Greenfield-Central High School
Red Applications
Liam Lloyd, Westfield High School
Edgar Medina, Westfield High School
RefReel
Evan Homan, Westfield High School
Quinn Provost, Westfield High School
Andrew Westra, Westfield High School
Sleep Snug
Lila James, Westfield High School
Nisha Roy, Westfield High School
Rylan Wheeler, Westfield High School
Usher
Kayden Thomas, Delta High School
Purdue University Northwest - Region 4 April 17th; 9:00AM - 1:15PM CST | RSVP to attend in person or join the livestream: startedupfoundation.org/region-4
Accurate Athletics
Noah Bailey, Hobart High School
Grant Kappes, Hobart High School
Ryan Wein, Hobart High School
AP (Anything’s Possible)
Anthony Ford, Homeschool
CO Solutions
Jackson Collard, Munster High School
Brandon Oganovich, Munster High School
Henry Wilson, Munster High School
DamonRose
Sofia Broberg, Lowell Senior High School
Mint City Recycling
Eason Reed, Bremen Senior High School
Novos
Joshua Avila, Munster High School
Austin Beetson, Munster High School
Sayeed Mohammed, Munster High School
Reaction Ring
Ethan Brubaker, Valpariaso High School
Michael Gjorseski, Valpariaso High School
Tyler Wells, Valpariaso High School
Recupp
Conner Niemann, Hobart High School
Simple Straw
Skyla Dobbertin, Valparaiso High School
Mady Lamb, Valparaiso High School
Allie Parks, Valparaiso High School
Tow Scout
Benjamin Eberle, Hobart High School
Wringo
Connor Gomez, Munster High School
Ameen Musley, Munster High School
Vasili Papageorge, Munster High School
Purdue University Fort Wayne - Region 5 April 27th; 8:00AM - 1:00PM EST | RSVP to attend in person or join the livestream: startedupfoundation.org/region-5
Amplify Fort Wayne
Versailles Burnett, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Eli Clough, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Hunter Ngo, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Communi
Seth Cavinder, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Emilie Henry, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Adrianna Senteney, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Eco Lures
Zachary Owens, Manchester Jr-Sr High School
Tristan Paquer, Manchester Jr-Sr High School
ETL Visions Inc
I’Anna Ritumalta, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Saul Robles, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Jasmine Rodriguez, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Intellikits
Nash Brown, DeKalb High School
Connor Wueller, DeKalb High School
JLs
Jennifer Loo, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Jocelyn Lopez, AMP Lab at Electric Works
MONO
Samsawn Pakasawn, AMP Lab at Electric Works
Rapid Roots
Eli Edmond, Wabash High School
Coltyn Sellers, Wabash High School
TNL Film Production
Tatum Lockhart, Garrett High School
Travida
Landen Zwick, AMP Lab at Electric Works
About The STARTedUP Foundation The STARTedUP Foundation officially launched in 2018 to start building the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. This is accomplished through three key initiatives: Spark, Develop, and Accelerate. Beginning with sparking innovation through the Innovate WithIN pitch competition; continuing to develop students through an educator fellowship; and accelerating innovation through the creation of an alumni association for all students previously engaged with STARTedUP. About Innovate WithIN STARTedUP’s innovation pitch competition, Innovate WithIN, is the most elite entrepreneurial pitch competition in the country, with ten teams selected within each of Indiana’s five regions to compete in the first round of the competition and the top two teams from each region invited to compete in the Innovate WithIN State Finals. These top teams are competing for $25,000 in seed funding to launch their company, product, or idea.
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