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2024 BIG IDEA COMPETITION WRAP UP!

Friday, January 17, 2025

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Bid Idea Finalist Picture
SD BIG Idea Finalists:Front Row: Owen Hoeft, Kelsey Lehr, Mallory Bellikka, Addyson Stiehl, Kyra Heupel, Samantha GeffreBack Row: Greyson (Pack) Forster, Matthew Cypher, Gage Kaiser, Jonathan Butler, Ethan Koopman, Ashley Haven.

The 2024 BIG Idea Competition marked another successful year providing entrepreneurship opportunities for high school students.  A total of 283 entries were received involving 377 students from 66 schools. The competition has solidified itself as a national competition, offering a virtual competition for finalists outside of South Dakota in addition to the in-person event for South Dakota students. The 2024 event wrapped up Wednesday, December 11, at Northern State University (NSU) with the Awards Ceremony. Winners from both competitions were announced along with five special category awards. Over $50,000 in cash and scholarships was awarded. The livestream link for the event can be found on the BIG Idea facebook page (@BIGIdeaSD).

 

2024 SOUTH DAKOTA FINALISTS

Place

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

1st

Resto Rides

Greyson (Pack) Forster

Homeschool

Independent

2nd

Cab Shine Solutions 

Ashley Haven

Northwestern High School

Anne Frericks

3rd

The Grass Whisperer

Kelsey Lehr

Edmunds Central High School

Chad Richardt

Other Finalists

E-Z Holds

Matthew Cypher

Tri-Valley High School

Tracy Vogt

Butler Mechanics

Jonathan Butler

Leola High School

Trevor Van Tilburg

Twine Guard

Gage Kaiser

Bowdle High School

Jackie Kessler

Cuddle Cup Café

Samantha Geffre 

Leola High School

Trevor Van Tilburg

Bright Horizons

Kyra Heupel, Addyson Stiehl, Mallory Bellikka

Aberdeen Central High School

Alexander Bellefeuille

 

 

2024 OUT-OF-STATE FINALISTS

Place

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

1st

DIAL

Syon Aggarwal

Johnston High School (IA)

Independent Study

2nd

Know.Period

Siona (Dolly) Pramoda, Manav Pulluru

Baldwin School of Puerto Rico, Out of Door Academy (FL)

Independent Study

3rd

Involvium

Shawn Choi, Jeremiah Park, Ethan Kim

Ruben S. Ayala High School

Independent Study

Other Finalists

NeuroStep

Morgan Walia-Peters

Hoboken High School (NJ)

Independent Study

Beat by Beat: Real-Time Virtual Blood Sugar Monitoring

Riddi Singhvi        Coolsjes Singhvi

Stillwater Area High School (MN)

Independent Study

FreshSense

Jaylyn Chong                  Om Loomba

Valley Christian High School (CA)

Independent Study

Authenticlo

Rushi Patel                Nipun Kodeboyena

Westford Academy (MA)

Independent Study

Bright Box

Rahee Yoo

Sunny Hills High School (CA)

Independent Study

 


BIG IDEA ELEVATOR PITCH VIDEO WINNERS

Sponsored by Dakota Plains Commercial Real Estate

 

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

Best Recorded Pitch: NeuroStep 

Morgan Walia-Peters

Hoboken High School (NJ)

Independent Study

Best Live Pitch: 

The Grass Whisperer

Kelsey Lehr

Edmunds Central High School

Chad Richardt

 

BIG IDEA WELLNESS WINNER

Sponsored by Independent Health Solutions

 

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

NeuroStep

Morgan Walia-Peters

Hoboken High School (NJ)

Independent Study

 

BIG IDEA AGRICULTURE INNOVATION WINNER

Sponsored by South Dakota Agriculture Foundation

 

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

Prairie Protection LLC

Ethan Koopman

Tri-Valley High School

Trevor Van-Tilburg


BIG IDEA HOMETOWN BUSINESS WINNER 

Sponsored by South Dakota Retailers Association

 

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

Bright Horizons 

Kyra Heupel, Addyson Stiehl, Mallory Bellikka

Aberdeen Central High School

Alexander Bellefeuille

 

BIG IDEA MAKERS WINNER 

Sponsored by Blackout Industries

 

Business Name

Team Members

School Name

School Advisor

Easy Tool

Owen Hoeft

Aberdeen Central High School

Alexander Bellefeuille

 

During the Awards Ceremony, attendees heard an inspiring message from Erik Muckey, Founder and CEO of Lost and Found, an organization that provides programs, training, and services to prevent youth and young adult suicide.  He provided three lessons encouraging students to appreciate the journey and the results, to define success on their own terms and to solve problems meaningful to them.  The Partners in Business Award, sponsored by Angelhaus, recognizes teachers who have incorporated networking and mentorship experiences into their classroom. This year’s recipients are Chad Richardt at Edmunds Central High School and Tracy Vogt of Tri-Valley High School. A full list of finalists, category winners and honorable mention entries can be found at www.bigideasd.com.   

 

About BIG Idea:  The BIG Idea Competition aims to promote entrepreneurship, spur creative thinking and encourage students to start a business. The competition is coordinated by BIG Idea, Inc. with assistance from the Small Business Development Center. Program sponsors include East River Electric, REED Fund, Dacotah Bank, First Bank & Trust, Angelhaus, Aberdeen Development Corporation, Northwestern Energy, McQuillen Creative Group, The Tom and Danielle Aman Foundation, Midcontinent Communications, GROW South Dakota, the South Dakota Agriculture Foundation, 3M, Missouri River Energy Services, Agtegra, South Dakota Retailers Association, Independent Health Solutions, Blackout Industries, Plains Commerce, and Dakota Plains Commercial Real Estate. Scholarships are provided by Northern State University, Dakota State University and University of South Dakota. 

  For more information about the competition, see www.BIGIdeaSD.com.

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