KELOWNA – The winners of the 2016 “Dragons’ Den Edition” of the Young Entrepreneur Competition were announced at an Awards event held at Okanagan College May 24th.
The competition, now in its 22nd year, is for students in Grades 7 to 12 and is a joint initiative between the Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission, School District No. 23 Career Life Programs, and Okanagan College School of Business. QHR Technologies Inc. was the Title sponsor of the Awards event.
With the Central Okanagan having one of the highest rates of entrepreneurship in Canada, the aim of the program is to provide youth in our community with hands-on learning experiences while creating excitement towards the topic of entrepreneurship.
Schools entered in teams of 1 to 5 students with fifty teams signing up to compete. The students were tasked with creating or developing a product or service including a marketing and financial plan.
Students began to work hard on their business ideas in February. Teams were mentored throughout the competition by business professionals (the “Dragons”) from many areas of the community and ENACTUS students from the Okanagan College School of Business. Out of the teams that started in the competition, forty-one teams competed at the District Competition on May 2nd and 3rd.
All teams were invited to the Trade Show and Awards Ceremony on May 24th at Okanagan College, among them the Top 5 Middle and Top 5 Secondary School finalists, along with their parents and teacher sponsors. The top 5 secondary teams advanced to a live pitch competition to determine their final placement.
Winners:
- Secondary School Teams:
- First Place Team – $1,500, KV Cresties (Okanagan Mission Secondary) Josh Ruda
- Second Place Team – $1,000, MNK Apparel (Kelowna Secondary School) Kanaan McGoran
- Third Place Team – $750, Just Ask (George Elliot Secondary) Noah Dorsey
- Fourth Place Team – $500, Little Acai Café (Mount Boucherie Secondary) Megan Morrow & Jada Jones
- Fifth Place Team – $250, Camiuw Creations (Kelowna Secondary) Micayla Upsdell-Witherly
- Best Trade Show Display – $500, Times Two Clothing (Mount Boucherie Secondary) Austin Sandrin
- Middle School Teams:
- First Place Team – ($1,000 and free tuition to the 2016 Startup Skool Summer Camp in Kelowna) – Doogoods (Okanagan Mission Secondary) Teagan Adams
- Second Place Team – $750, Pocket Lock-it (KLO Middle School) Tanner Milligan & Jeremy Laverdiere
- Third Place Team – $500, Brudders Creamery (KLO Middle School) Joel and Eric Worman
- Fourth Place Team – $300, Ultimate Controllers (Okanagan Mission Secondary) Jacob Petty and Max Purdon)
- Fifth Place Team – $200, Snuggly Sock Friends (KLO Middle School), Anna Baerg, Teagan Wright & Allie Clark
- Best Trade Show Display – $500, Pocket Lock-it (KLO Middle School) Tanner Milligan & Jeremy Laverdiere