Claire Mischel, Jake Sandvig, and Noah Steinlicht had the right idea. The three Milbank Agriculture Education students were winners at the 2016 South Dakota... What’s the Big Idea?

health_big_ideaClaire Mischel, Jake Sandvig, and Noah Steinlicht had the right idea. The three Milbank Agriculture Education students were winners at the 2016 South Dakota Big Idea Competition December 8, at Northern State University.

Jake Sandvig and Noah Steinlicht won in the Wellness division – a new category this year. Their Conquer My Concussion Wellness Plan was developed as a mobile app to offer cognitive tests and training to athletes suffering from concussions. The intent is to ease users into thinking and focusing clearly again and potentially speed up recovery time. According to the duo, “Our main goal is to help those athletes return to their normal life as soon as possible while lowering the risks of re-injury.” Jake and Noah presented a sales pitch at the awards ceremony and received $500 from Sanford Medical.

claireClaire Mischel placed second in the Entrepreneurial Plan division with Claire’s Sweet Treats. She received a $500 cash prize, $500 scholarship from NSU, and a $500 scholarship from Presentation College in Aberdeen.

Claire’s Sweet Treats plans to offer quality baked goods – cookies, cakes, and more- at an affordable price. “In my area, there are a few similar businesses, but they all produce and sell the same limited selection,” Claire said. “I offer baked goods you can’t buy unless you go to a larger city.” She went on to say her target customer is a busy professional or anyone who does not have the resources to bake. “I plan on operating year round with peak sales during the holidays and as owner/operator, I will do all the baking.”

The Big Idea Competition, which celebrated its tenth year, features high school students across South Dakota who compete to create the best business ideas. Winners receive nearly $5,000 in cash awards and scholarships. Students can work individually or as a team. This year, there were 303 entries from 40 different schools.

Photo identification – Wellness Plan check presentation – Kelly Weaver, regional director of the Small Business Development Center, Noah Steinlicht, Jake Sandvig and Jerry Janisch, Milbank Ag Ed Instructor.

Dr. Willard Broucek, Dean of the College of Business at NSU; Claire Mischel, Jerry Janisch and Kelly Weaver, regional director for the Small Business Development Center.

Staff Writer

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