The Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge (KEC) recently recognized the extraordinary entrepreneurial spirit of two Great Bend Middle School students, Sydney Bailey and Callie Umphries. Bailey and Umphrez developed their own business plan with the guidance of their mentors and achieved the top spot in the challenge. Their success highlights the potential of young minds and is an inspiration to students across Kansas.
KEC was held at the K-State Student Union and over $75,000 in prize money was distributed to 31 students out of 81 participants from 72 companies. In an exciting development, students from the 2023-2024 College of Business Administration and Kansas 4-H competition years will be participating, further increasing the diversity of participants and making the event more competitive.
To qualify for the KEC competition, students must win a Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) series competition or be one of 16 wildcard participants selected based on the quality of their executive summary and recorded elevator pitch. You can be one of them.
The event was in its 11th year and had a record number of participants, with 1,159 students from Kansas participating, a significant increase from previous years.
Kansas student succeeds in entrepreneurial challenge
Students from elementary school to high school presented unique perspectives and innovative ideas. The event not only raised environmental awareness but also served as a valuable platform for young minds.
Experienced individuals, including local entrepreneurs, public sector partners, and teachers, evaluated participants based on abstracts and simulated boardroom presentations. 4-H Youth Development Program Director Sarah Maas praised the event as a great learning opportunity for young entrepreneurs across the state.
A variety of student projects were recognized, including the “Aerial View” project by Sydney Bailey and Callie Umphrez, which made it to the finals. Other top projects include Hayley Mick’s “Made in Minutes,” which won the Trade Show His People’s Choice Award, “Delectively Dried” in second place, and “Cowgirl Creations” in third place.
