Entrepreneurial spirit takes center stage at high school pitch competition on Purdue Fort Wayne campus April 27

With nearly 2,500 statewide sign ups, the STARTedUP Foundation’s Innovate WithIN program is the largest high school pitch competition in the country. During the month of April, 51 teams across Indiana are competing to qualify for the state competition in Indianapolis later this spring.

On April 27, 10 teams will be participating in the Region 5 competition hosted by Purdue University Fort Wayne. All the action will take place from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the International Ballroom at Walb Student Union. The top two teams from each region move on to state where $25,000 in venture capital funding and $10,000 in 529 funds will be awarded to the winning pitch. The victors will also advance to a national competition in Washington, D.C. 

“In addition to having another record-breaking year, we have seen such an improvement in the student’s pitches and heard from educators of how they have seen a mindset shift in their classrooms,” said Don Wettrick, co-founder and CEO of the STARTedUP Foundation. “As an educator of 25 years, when you bring a mindset of innovation into the classroom, things change for students. These young people are able to visualize real-world opportunities and are challenged to explore their own entrepreneurial passions.”

On top of the chance to secure financial assistance for those participants who end up attending Purdue Fort Wayne, students are also connected to business and civic leaders who share a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, especially as they look ahead to growing their future workforce ecosystem.

On behalf of the hosting entity, Chancellor Ron Elsenbaumer was invited to record a brief introduction to the university and his thoughts on why PFW is excited to support this competition. That video can be viewed by clicking here. 

The Region 5 participating teams are as follows:
 
Amplify Fort Wayne

• Versailles Burnett, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Eli Clough, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Hunter Ngo, AMP Lab at Electric Works

Communi

• Seth Cavinder, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Emilie Henry, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Adrianna Senteney, AMP Lab at Electric Works

Eco Lures

• Zachary Owens, Manchester Jr-Sr High School
• Tristan Paquer, Manchester Jr-Sr High School

ETL Visions Inc

• I’Anna Ritumalta, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Saul Robles, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Jasmine Rodriguez, AMP Lab at Electric Works

Intellikits

• Nash Brown, DeKalb High School
• Aiden Nichols, DeKalb High School
• Connor Wueller, DeKalb High School

JLs

• Jennifer Loo, AMP Lab at Electric Works
• Jocelyn Lopez, AMP Lab at Electric Works

MONO

• Samsawn Pakasawn, AMP Lab at Electric Works

Rapid Roots

• Eli Edmond, Wabash High School
• Coltyn Sellers, Wabash High School

TNL Film Production

• Tatum Lockhart, Garrett High School

Travida

• Landen Zwick, AMP Lab at Electric Works

Members of the general public may attend in person or watch remotely. More details and registration information can be found at startedupfoundation.org/region-5. 

Note to editors: Members of the media who are interested in covering this competition are asked to RSVP to Kate Ryan, director of marketing and communications, The STARTedUP Foundation, at [email protected] by 8:30 a.m. on the day of the event, April 27. 

For additional information, contact Geoff Thomas at [email protected] or 260-437-7657 (mobile).

About The STARTedUP Foundation

The STARTedUP Foundation officially launched in 2018 to start building the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs. This is accomplished through three key initiatives: Spark, Develop, and Accelerate. Beginning with sparking innovation through the Innovate WithIN pitch competition; continuing to develop students through an educator fellowship; and accelerating innovation through the creation of an alumni association for all students previously engaged with STARTedUP.

About Innovate WithIN

STARTedUP’s innovation pitch competition, Innovate WithIN, is the most elite entrepreneurial pitch competition in the country, with ten teams selected within each of Indiana’s five regions to compete in the first round of the competition and the top two teams from each region invited to compete in the Innovate WithIN State Finals. These top teams are competing for $25,000 in seed funding to launch their company, product, or idea.