By: Melissa Kraman—
Muncie, IN — Innovate WithIN™ will host its annual state finals virtually with 10 teams of high school entrepreneurs pitching their products and services at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 8.
Innovate WithIN™ provides students across Indiana the chance to pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to experienced professionals for awards and scholarships. In response to COVID-19, the finalists — who advanced through two rounds of online and live pitching — will present virtually through Innovate WithIN™’s website.
All teams are competing for the grand prize: a $10,000 cash prize, one year of in-state tuition, internship opportunities, and mentoring services. The winner will be selected from a panel of judges.
“In my third year of leading the Innovate WithIN™ program, I couldn’t be more pleased with our teams this year,” said Candy Dodd, project manager for the program and director of special initiatives at Ball State, a co-sponsor of the event. “Each year the quality of teams and pitches have improved and this is our most competitive yet.”
From sustainable plant growth systems to therapeutic gloves for people with arthritis, the students are fueling new business ideas that aim to stimulate the local economy of Indiana.
“Innovate WithIN™ is more than a competition for money,” Dodd said. “It opens doors to professional growth and connections students may otherwise never have.”
Co-sponsors of the event include Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Department of Education, and STARTedUP Foundation.
About Ball State
Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State University is one of Indiana’s premier universities and an economic driver for the state. Ball State’s 22,500 students come from all over Indiana, the nation, and the world. The 790-acre campus is large enough to accommodate first-rate facilities and 19 NCAA Division I sports, but our welcoming and inclusive campus is small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention, and access that are the hallmarks of the University. Destination 2040: Our Flight Path establishes Ball State’s ambitious goals for our second century. We Fly!
