BISMARCK, N.D. – While the national economy continues to weaken, a North Dakota competition that helps entrepreneurs turn ideas into successful businesses is having a banner year.
Due to the high quality and strong potential of the participants in this year’s Innovate ND program, judges have chosen 30 top ideas to continue in the competition for another six weeks compared to the 20 top ideas that are typically advanced at this phase of the competition.
“The quality and variety of entrants this year is impressive,”Jeff Stamp, chair of entrepreneurship at UND, said.“These businesses have great potential.We have more international businesses, green products and energy-related ventures than ever. We want to see more financial information from these teams before we narrow it down to 20.”
The top 30 ideas are invited to attend the Ideas at Work Boot Camp in Grand Forks on March 14. This event will help finalists develop their financial data and offer tips for pitching their ideas to Innovate ND judges in the final round.
Participants will be narrowed to 20 on April 10 when final business plans, financials and power point presentations are due. These ideas will then proceed to the final round of oral presentations and judging May 18 in Bismarck. The five Innovate ND Idea champions will be announced at the Innovate ND Awards Banquet May 19.
The following entrepreneurs and ideas have been selected to continue (three requested to be anonymous):
Northwest Region
Katie Fitzgerald, Camdens Naturals LLC, Anamoose
Scott Sjol, Flax Straw Fuel Pellet, Des Lacs
Southwest Region
Nic Cruz, CiNCity Designs LLC, Mandan
Mike Holman, The Light’s On Corporation, Mandan
Paul Wolf, Light Check, Mandan
Deb Frank, kohlwaters inc, Dickinson
Jordan Schuetzle, Algean Energy, Bismarck
Northeast Region:
Josh Christy, Zoobedo.com., Grand Forks
Cara Eberle, AquaSpecs, Grand Forks
Joshua Goldade, SunAir Power, Grand Forks
Lee Groeschl, Angry Apple Pie, L.L.C., Grand Forks
Yong Hou, Clean Republic, Grand Forks
Greg Johhson, Quick Diapering, Grand Forks
Sterling Wiggins, Anime Kiosk LLC, Grand Forks
Eric Veidel, BakTrakr, Grand Forks
Southeast Region
Christopher DeHaan, Telepharmacy Concepts, Inc., Fargo
David Gravdahl, Aqua Solutions, West Fargo
Bethany Johs, byRemote Surveillance Center, Fargo
Dwight Kinzer, Process Equipment & Design LLC, Fargo
Nikki Lamb, Formula Now, West Fargo
Ganapathy Mahalingam, Digital DesignSolutions, Fargo
Brad Thurow, Blue4Green, Fargo
Robert Heitkamp, Midwest Applied Technologies, Mantador
Jesse Faul, Secure Engineering LLP, Horace
Jeff Langley, Operational Security Services, Inc, Monango
Out of State:
Stephanie Duke, Palladium Innovation LLC, Minneapolis
Dennis Mischel, unnamed, Springfield, Va,
Randall Sorenson, EZ Doc Corporation, Chandler, Ariz.
Joseph Williams, Micro Systems Technologies, Fairborn, Ohio
Three other teams also automatically advanced: the Marketplace BOSS Business Plan Competition winners Josh Goldade and Kristine Lesch of Sunair Power in Grand Forks as well as winners of the University of Mary’s Entrepreneur Fair and Dickinson State University’s Business Plan Competition.
In selecting ideas for the final round, judges looked at five criteria: innovation, commercial viability, investment opportunity, entrepreneur team and quality of presentation.
Innovate ND is a statewide economic development initiative designed to help entrepreneurs turn business ideas into functional businesses. It is coordinated by the North Dakota Department of Commerce, the UND Center of Innovation and the NDSU Research and Technology Park.
In the first two years of the competition, 155 teams involving 298 individuals participated and 40 new businesses are in operation or development stage in North Dakota today as a result. For more information, contact Brandi Schoenberg at Commerce, 701-328-5300 or bschoenberg@nd.gov or Rodrigo Cintra at the Center for Innovation, 701-777-3970 or rodrigo@innovators.net or go to www.innovatend.com.
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