Beacoms Invent-to-Innovate Competition Hosted at USD
Competitors earned cash prizes and honed their entrepreneurial skills by reacting to the different types of challenges that occur during the startup process helping them learn what it takes to successfully launch a business.
“The idea of a business model competition is to encourage students to not only come up with ideas but to start making them happen. The entrepreneurial process is about learning what works and what doesn’t,” said Howard Haines, an entrepreneurship instructor at the Beacom School of Business.
This year’s competition included guest judges John Meyer, Co-Founder/CEO of Lemonly, Chad Hatch, Partner at Bird Dog Equity Partners, Paul Ten Haken, CEO of Click Rain, and Sue Stoll, Regional Director of the South Dakota Small Business Development Center.
Full Results
High School Track
$1,000 - 1st place: Libby Gregg, Morgan Kerkman and Kaitlin Killian. Vermillion High School
$750 - 2nd place: Elizabeth Hjelm and Madison Dillon. Vermillion High School
$50 - 3rd place: Jacob Mebius, Tanner Steemken. Sioux City North High School
University Track
$2,000 - 1st place: Bruce Biegler and Sheldon Moysis. University of South Dakota
$1,500 - 2nd place: Aaron Bryer. University of South Dakota
$1,000 - 3rd place: Drew Utterback. University of South Dakota
$250 - Crowd Favorite: Brooke Assmus, Lexi Saunders, Emily Stockwell and Sarah Prescott. Vermillion High School
