Story and photos by Roger Sims (rsims@linncountyjournal.com) except where noted
MOUND CITY – Fourteen area high school students representing eight different business ideas walked away from Linn County’s Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Tuesday, March 4, with a total of $2,250 in prize money.
While Prairie View’s sole entry Grace Naylor walked away with the top prize of $1,000 in the juried contest, the students representing Pleasanton High School’s seven exhibits pocketed the rest of the money. Grace will go on to compete in the state challenge next month.
It was the third year that Network Kansas and the Linn County Economic Development Department have sponsored the contest. Students from the class of PHS business teacher Destiny Fletcher have competed all three years, and this year was the second year that PVHS business teacher Jacoby Johnson had a student enter the challenge. Last year, a Jayhawk-Linn student won, but that school was not represented last week.
The students had the option of working on their trade show-ready display tables and presentations in small groups or individually. Naylor had a solo presentation, while the second- and third-place winners were team efforts.
The event included a presentation by Erika Gilbert, whose Linn County-based Events by Erika supplies balloons for special occasions from the Kansas City area to southeast Kansas.
The display tables for each business included posters with information on the business concept including reasons why they believe the concept would be viable, how their products were made or sourced, how their products would be marketed and their predictions on how the business would grow.
Here are the students and a summary of their projects:
First place – InnoMark, Grace Naylor, senior, Prairie View, $1,000 prize
The focus of Grace’s business is designing websites for medium and small businesses to enhance their online presence. Using a subscription-based model that starts at about $40 a month for its standard service, Grace’s company projects monthly revenues of $20,000 early this year and hitting an average of $35,000 monthly by December 2026 with initial start-up costs up to nearly $2,900.
Second place – The Barking Biscuit, Pleasanton seniors Rees Chapman, Katelyn More and Serenity Coen, $500 prize
These three seniors propose to market an all-natural dog treat they describe as both “healthy and cheap.” A open carton of eggs rested on this team’s display table to promote the idea of all-natural ingredients (the eggs were not for sale, they assured). This business plans to advertise on social media including Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and Etsy. They projected sales of more than $33,000 this year expanding to nearly $64,000 in 2027.
Third place - Whiff & Wonder, seniors Shiloh Skipper, Lillian Williamson and Wyatt Carver, $250 prize
The partners of Whiff & Wonder plan to capitalize on a strong market for making perfumes of natural and chemical-free essential oils. Using each of their strengths and experience – including organization and customer service, production and marketing, and advertising and order fulfillment – the trio expect to generate nearly $22,000 in sales in 2025, increasing that to more than $30,700 within two years. They plan to use social media to market their product.
Other contestants in alphabetical order of their business’ name:
Albanicos Almau – Sergio Montecon, sophomore, Pleasanton, Best Marketing, $100 prize
For Sergio, folding fans (almanicos in Spanish) are part of his cultural experience. An exchange student from Zaragoza, Spain, the use of the handheld fans is a part of his tradition. But he also sees sales opportunities in the U.S. as well, whether selling Blu-Jay or Chiefs rally fans. He plans to market his product online and will promote his product in both countries. He even sells a kit where the customer is supplied with markers to make their own designs. To make sure he reaches the most customers, his display has QR codes for both English- and Spanish-language websites.
Gavin Luxe – freshman, Pleasanton, Peoples’ Choice, $100 prize
Gavin’s business plan calls for making necklaces for students or family members using beads in a variety of shapes and colors. His plan calls for using quality beads at whole prices to make jewelry for students or family members. He projects net income for 2025 at just over $520, however, he predicts enough growth in the market to realize a net income of more than $2,600 in 2027.
MA Deliveries – Makya Neal-Cox and Abbi Johnson, juniors, Pleasanton, Best in Show, $100 prize
Makya and Abbi had a very popular display, because it featured free samples of their signature Deviled Strawberries and Cheesecake Bites. These businesswomen plan to keep their product local by delivering the sweets to their customers’ doors in Pleasanton and gradually expanding to larger markets.
Rooted Remedies – Elijah Lindo, sophomore, Pleasanton, Best Trade Show, $100 prize
Elijah’s company plans to use all-natural ingredients to produce herbal salves that can take the fire out of burns, quell the irritations of bug bites and soothe sore muscles. Using online marketing through his website, which conveniently had a QR code on this display, he will make the salves using essential oils, gathered herbs, beeswax and either coconut or olive oil.
Sewn Snuggles – Mackenzie Kelly and Kinley Hawkins, seniors, Pleasanton, Ready to Launch, $100 prize
Kinley and Mackenzie plan to make and sell cozy, handmade blankets to a mostly female clientele through online sales. The partners bring marketing, financial expertise and sewing skills to the company. Using online advertising, the company plans to sell nearly 2,200 blankets in the coming year for a gross sales income of nearly $65,000 in 2025.
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