2024 BIG IDEA COMPETITION WRAP UP!
Friday, January 17, 2025


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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