LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, UNITED STATES, August 23, 2023/EINPresswire.com/ -- From engaging voters to helping senior citizens, this year’s winning business pitches were as impressive and varied as the Kentucky high school students who created them during the 2023 Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs (GSE).

GSE identifies, inspires, and empowers Kentucky’s future innovators with its three-week Summer Startup program for high schoolers. This year, a record-setting 198 students completed the program. The intensive, non-traditional learning experience develops entrepreneurial skills with lifelong impact. The goal is to help drive economic growth across the commonwealth by supporting the business dreams of students who have the drive and passion to be entrepreneurs and create jobs in Kentucky.

“Every year, I am amazed at the ideas that the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs participants come up with in just three weeks. For many of these students, this is their first exposure to entrepreneurship and it ignites a lifelong passion for exploring, creating and developing new ideas into viable products and services. It is exciting to watch GSE graduates take what they have learned about starting a business back to their communities to make Kentucky a leader in innovation,” said Gov. Andy Beshear.

The program culminates with a thrilling Demo Day event, when each team pitches its business to a large audience and a panel of judges. The teams field questions from the judges, who deliberate and award the top three ideas. The winning team receives $1,000. Second place is awarded $750, and the team placing third receives $500. GSE held two sessions this summer on the campus of Northern Kentucky University.

“To say the least, it has been life changing. I met countless amounts of people from all over this amazing state and the friendships are long lasting,” said Braylon Breeze, from Adair County High School, who was on a winning team. “I’ll always have these memories of the program, and I just hope everyone can be part of GSE at some point in their life.”

Session One Winners:

First Place: Fireside – Educating and engaging voters with unbiased information about candidates and issues.

Fireside Team:
Braylon Breeze, Adair County, Adair County HS
Kylie Cramer, Lawrence County, Lawrence County HS
Lilly Hibbs, Union County, Union County HS
Carolina Johnson, Morgan County, Morgan County HS
Ryan Toole, Campbell County, Highlands HS

Second Place: Willow – Helping people with disabilities or special needs learn about the accessibility of a business before they visit.

Willow Team:
Aaron Demissie, Jefferson County, Trinity HS
Anna McDowell, Oldham County, Assumption HS
Lola Norman, Warren County, Greenwood HS
Roman St. Clair, Breckinridge County, Breckinridge County HS
Houston St. John, Warren County, Bowling Green HS

Third Place: Salus – Improving school safety using artificial intelligence (AI) and facial recognition to flag unrecognized people in school buildings.

Salus Team:
Kylie Batts, Christian County, Hopkinsville HS
Grant Harper, Barren County, Barren County HS
Sruthika Shivakumar, Jefferson County, duPont Manual HS
Luke Storer, Boone County, Ryle HS
MattiClaire Wheeler, Graves County, Mayfield HS

Session One judges were Rashmi Assudani, Dean, Siena School of Business; Robert Lamothe, President, Commonwealth Seed Capital; and Justin Otto, Economic and Community Development Director, Campbell County Fiscal Court.

Session Two Winners:

First Place: JS Chats – Helping senior citizens living in care facilities feel less isolated by connecting them via video call with high school students who need service hours.

JS Chats Team:
Haley Carr, Laurel County, Corbin HS
Timothy Nichols, Caldwell County, Caldwell County HS
Landon Scaggs, Greenup County, Russell HS
Noah Stewart, Jefferson County, duPont Manual HS
Ali Yarali, Calloway County, Murray HS

Second Place: Magnify – Assisting teens looking for jobs by creating an interactive and engaging app.

Magnify Team:
Ezra Foote, Calloway County, Calloway County HS
Shaivisri Koya, Jefferson County, duPont Manual HS
Kenley Rhodes, Breckinridge County, Breckinridge County HS
Jack Scantland, Oldham County, Francis Parker School of Louisville
Dani Smith, Clay County, Clay County HS

Third Place: QuickER – Reducing wait times in emergency rooms by creating an app that shows ER wait times and alternative options.

QuickER Team:
Eli Back, Campbell County, Highlands HS
Alexis Davidson, Boone County, Ryle HS
Deepika Koripelli, Jefferson County, duPont Manual HS
Zach Radivonyk, Lyon County , Lyon County HS
Ryan Runyon, Boyd County, Paul G. Blazer HS

Session Two judges were Dave Knox, Executive Director, Blue North; Malcolm Muhammad, VP of Engagement and Outcomes, Russell Innovation Center for Entrepreneurs; and Angela C. Crawford, President, Crawford Partners.

An additional award sponsored by Access Ventures was given to teams that won the Reconstruct Challenge by creating an idea that produces a positive impact on the world around them. Each team was awarded $500.

Session 1 Reconstruct Challenge Winner: Sprout Space – Providing fresh produce in food deserts with a monthly seed packet subscription service designed for at-home, indoor gardening.

Sprout Space Team:
Howra Al Garawi, Jefferson County, Fairdale HS
Keaton Carr, Madison County , Model HS
Kassidy Evans, Boone County, Walton-Verona HS
Hannah Pittman, Oldham County, Oldham County HS
Dakota Ward, Martin County, Martin County HS

Session 2 Reconstruct Challenge Winner: Artlet - Helping high school students' mental health through creative workshops.

Artlet Team:
Allison Lopez, Boone County, Ryle HS
Kirshika Lungani, Jefferson County, Ballard HS
Gabriella Ostrander, Leslie County, Leslie County HS
Jordan Puitz, Kenton County, Dixie Heights HS
Ruby Robinson, Daviess County, Daviess County HS

To date, more than 900 high school students have graduated from GSE’s summer program since it began in 2013. Graduates qualify for millions of dollars in scholarships at colleges and universities across Kentucky. Dozens of businesses have been launched in Kentucky by GSE graduates and several patents have been filed.

All Kentucky 9th, 10th and 11th graders can apply for the Summer Startup program. GSE does not consider grade-point-average or test scores in its application, and the program is free for selected students thanks to generous funding from the state, and donations from other public and private supporters. The application for GSE’s 2024 Summer Startup program opens later this fall at www.kentuckygse.com

Anne Jewell
Governor's School for Entrepreneurs
+1 502-592-0520
email us here

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