COLUMBUS, Ind. — Seven students representing five counties in Southeastern Indiana pitched their business plans via Zoom at The Maverick Challenge Regional Finals for a chance at winning cash prizes in the youth entrepreneurship initiative last weekend.
Coordinated and sponsored by the Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce, The Maverick Challenge is designed to give high school students hands-on experience in the practice of entrepreneurship through its mentorship requirements, digital curriculum on foundational business concepts, and rounds of pitches.
Over 330 students from Bartholomew, Dearborn, Franklin/Ripley, Jackson, and Scott counties participated this year. Since its inception in 2008, more than $100,000 has been awarded, and thousands of students have participated.
The 2022-2023 Maverick Challenge winners and their business ideas are:
1st Place – Siddhant Jain, a junior at Columbus North High School, for “Sid’s Studios.” Sid’s Studios LLC is a social media marketing agency that creates, manages, and promotes media content for businesses and individuals as a monthly-based subscription service.
2nd Place – Benjamin Stoops, a sophomore at Lawrenceburg High School, for “BS Baseball Gloves.” BS Baseball Gloves breaks in baseball and softball gloves for customers while preserving the integrity and life of the gloves.
Judges’ Choice – Luke Imlay, a junior at Brownstown Central High School, for “Lucky’s Farrier Equipment.” Lucky’s is a fabrication shop offering a custom rack for farriers to organize their tools and equipment in the bed of their trucks.