The High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge (HSUEC) announced the top 20 teams that will advance to the final stage of the competition today. The competition is open to all high school students across Utah, ages 14-18. They are competing for $20,000 in cash and prizes. This competition is hosted by the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute, a division of the David Eccles School of Business at the University of Utah, and sponsored by Zions Bank.
Each high school team faced the challenge of identifying a problem and proposing a creative solution.
“We are thrilled with the response from high school students this year! With support from their parents, teachers and mentors, they have raised the bar yet again,” said Brialyn Hassett, the student director of the High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. “We eagerly look forward to seeing their entrepreneur ideas in action and wish each of the top 20 teams the best of luck in the upcoming competition!”
The top 20 teams will advance to the final round, where they will meet for a final judging event and a public awards ceremony on April 7 at Lassonde Studios on the University of Utah campus. All are invited to the public ceremony on that day at 2:30-4 p.m. (register to attend the event here). Find a complete list of the finalists with descriptions below. The public is encouraged to vote online for the best idea on March 17-30 (vote online here).
“We are excited to host the top 20 teams at the final award ceremony this year. We have seen high school students with increasingly innovative ideas and inventions,” said Anne Bastien, a director at the Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute. “We are delighted with the growing participation for HSUEC throughout the state and think this is just the beginning of what high school entrepreneurs have to offer.”
The High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge is the youth version of the collegiate Utah Entrepreneur Challenge, which offers $100,000 in cash and prizes.
Learn more about the High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge at lassonde.utah.edu/hsuec.
Top 20 Teams in the 2018 High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge
Here are the top 20 teams in the High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge. These teams will advance to the final event. They are listed in alphabetical order:
- AskManny App (Herriman High School) – AskManny fuses all elements involved in the high school dance-planning process into a user-friendly app.
- Castable Premium Podcast Experience (Skyridge High School) – Universal podcast listening and creation platform available on all devices.
- CCD: Campfire Charging Device (West High School) – CCD is a portable array of electrothermal generators that uses fire and water to generate a current.
- ClearWater Revival (Skyline High School) – Separates gray water from cleaner water for reuse in gardens.
- Discount Driver (West High School) – An app that tracks phone usage while driving and rewards points to be redeemed for local business coupons.
- GeoFocus – An Internet platform for locations to be used by film and photography professionals.
- Green Republic (Highland High School) – Green Republic uses hydroponics and vertical indoor farming to grow fresh greens locally.
- mySTYLIST (Park City High School) – An app that will create outfits for users based on their personal style and what already exists in their closet.
- Recovery Wear (Park City High School)– Clothing that will provide easy on/off and one-handed dressing for people with large casts.
- Retractable Road Reflector (American Fork High School) – Retractable road reflectors help improve visualization for drivers 24/7 through all seasons.
- roadRewards (Skyridge High School) – A creative solution to distracted driving that rewards points for keeping your phone locked.
- Seymour (Copper Hills High School) – A small robot for people with cerebral palsy to use to feed themselves.
- SubzeO (West High School) – The SubzeO allows for perishable medications to be preserved without electricity.
- The Clean, Green, Flying Machine (Park City High School) – A floating air filter system that will extract large, PM 2.5, and PM 10 particulates from the air.
- The “Orca” (West Jordan Middle School) – The Orca is a prosthetic fishing device.
- The Wolf’em Stick Pro (Bingham High School) – The Wolf’em Stick is an innovative campfire-roasting tool that makes Wolf’ems.
- Tile Support Pedestal (Wasatch High School) – The pedestal is an adjustable system of plastic components that forms a pillar capable of compensating for slope and variable heights
- UV Sensor Wearable Technology (Park City High School) – An electronic device capable of recording and wirelessly transmitting UV data.
- Water Widget (Academy of Math Engineering Science) – A data-driven watering controller that uses low-cost sensors and open-source hardware and software.
- WeldSmart (Westlake High School) – Welding hood that controls power to the welder to prevent arc flash.
2018 High School Utah Entrepreneur Challenge Season Timeline
- Online application opens: Sept. 22, 2017
- Kick-off Party (Lassonde Institute): Sept. 22, 2017
- Online project deadline: March 1, 2018
- Online judging begins: March 2, 2018, noon
- Online judging deadline: March 15, 2018
- Finalists announced: March 16, 2018
- Public online voting starts: March 17, 2018 (vote here)
- Public online voting ends: March 30, 2018
- Final Judging and Awards Ceremony (University of Utah): April 7, 2018, public invited 2:30-4 p.m. (register here)
Yay