A statewide panel of judges have selected 33 entries to advance to Phase 2 of Wisconsin YES!, a youth business plan contest for students in middle school and high school.
Students submitted their science- and tech-based 250-word business summaries through the contest website – www.WisconsinYES.com – in April to compete in Phase 1. More than 100 entries were received from around the state.
Professionals committed to the development of young business leaders in Wisconsin served as judges, scoring the entries and providing constructive feedback to the students.
Entries advancing to the next round, including the school, are:
| Submission Name | School | Name |
| FreLock | La Follette High School | Aaraf khondaker |
| Nova Vita | Brookfield Academy | Amanda Roessler |
| unRaveled | Brookfield Academy | Andy Liu, Christian Hong, Pablo Dale |
| PowKite | Longfellow Middle school | Athena Anderson |
| SUNtacts | Longfellow Middle School | Audrey Catlin |
| Junction | Neenah High School | Austin Babbitt |
| Rice Brace | Longfellow Middle School | Ava Frazer |
| Lyloh Chair | Whitman Middle School | Avery Krieghoff |
| More-Shmallows | Brookfield Academy | Ben Otto, Barker Schlick, Matthew McElligott, Roth Yenerich |
| Fia | Longfellow Middle School | Cambrielle Sanders |
| Smart Dose | Whitman Middle School | Ethan Espinosa |
| Stay 100 | Neenah High School | Evan Krook |
| The Virus | New Richmond High School | Evelyn Perez Mora |
| RunBoot | Longfellow Middle School | Isabella Fiorentini |
| The Species Identifier | Longfellow Middle School | Jenna Wood |
| BlackBOX | James Madison Memorial | Lamar Whigham |
| Flair Fries | Brookfield Academy | Lauren Geenen |
| Multi-Chair | Whitman MIddle School | Leah Cortright |
| Leaf No Trace | Greendale High School | Luke Terry |
| Think Twice | La Follette High School | Maichi XIong |
| DateSafe | Elkhorn Area High School | Margaret/Meghan Mroch/Mertes |
| Bio-Loons | Longfellow Middle School | Maria Knaack |
| pedal Power | Neenah High School | Marshall Kools |
| Helping Hand | Longfellow Middle School | Max Ranft |
| Voice Sign | Longfellow Middle School | Melissa Henningsen |
| Smart Sanitizer | Whitman Middle School | Myles Calhoun |
| PB & Whey Business Plan | Brookfield Academy | Priya Ahuja, Cormac Malloy, Aidan Medora, Michael Hoggart |
| SeaNET | Wauwatosa East High School | Sasha Simons |
| VR treadmill | Longfellow Middle School | Sophia Kirklewski |
| Walking Talking Business Buddy (WTBB) | Longfellow Middle School | Tallulah Teipel |
| TheHalcyonProject | Longfellow Middle School | Vivi Andersen |
| Project Outhouse | Neenah High School | Will Clark |
| The SafeWay | Longfellow Middle School | Zoe and Daniel Casey |
Phase 2 will require students to develop their business plan in more detail in a 1,000-word executive summary. Place finishers will be announced in early June and will be eligible for cash and prizes. The grand prize winner will have the opportunity to present their winning idea June 5 at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference at Venue 42 at Milwaukee Brewing Co., Milwaukee. For more information on the conference, visit www.witrepsconference.com.
The Wisconsin YES! contest is produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council. Major support is provided by WEA Trust, Intrepid Charitable Partners, and the UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement.
Contest partners include the Department of Financial Institutions, Department of Public Instruction, the Association of Wisconsin School Administrators, Make a Difference Wisconsin, Project Lead the Way Wisconsin, STEM Forward, Wisconsin Association of School Boards, Wisconsin Society of Science Teachers and Wisconsin Association of School Business Officials.
The Tech Council is the independent, non-profit and non-partisan science and technology adviser to the Governor and the Legislature. It serves as a catalyst for tech-based economic development in Wisconsin through programs such as the Tech Council Investor Networks, the Governor’s Business Plan Contest and the Tech Council Innovation Network.
Learn more at www.WisconsinYES.com or contact the Wisconsin Technology Council at 608-442-7557.
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