G-AHS team wins business challenge
Fresh off a weekend spent with entrepreneurial students from around the world at the Diamond Challenge, a team of Greencastle-Antrim High School students won the second annual Franklin County High School Business Challenge Tuesday.
Collin Griffin, Clare Hudak and Matt Lynerd propose taking the "stress, guesswork and waste" out of home renovation with their easy-to-use AssemBuild software. They received a $700 scholarship for their winning presentation.
Collin and Matt were official members of the G-AHS team that last year won the inaugural business challenge, hosted by the Community Education Coalition of Franklin County, while Clare provided input and sewed the Grean Bags: Grean Seats, Clean World entry. Both years, their adviser was Eric Brennan a STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and math) teacher.
The trio pitched their idea — fine-tuned with help from mentor Nathan Rotz of eLynxx Solutions — in a "Shark Tank" format at Franklin County Career and Technology Center to L. Michael Ross, president of Franklin County Area Development Corp.; Tanya K. Nitterhouse, owner of SunnyHill Properties Inc.; and Cheryl E. Young of the Small Business Development Center at Shippensburg University.
Two teams from Chambersburg Career Magnet School also were in the running Tuesday from an initial field of five proposals. The Business Challenge began earlier in the school year when students were challenged to conceive and present a plan for a business to be located in Franklin County that would positively impact the community while generating a profit.
Second place and $400 went to Korbin Davis, Rachel Dusman, Luke Myers and Kelly Smith for Raised and Rooted, a locally sourced meal plan business. Their adviser was Corey Grove and their mentor was Duaine Collier of Shippensburg Pump Co.
Third place and $200 went to Joshua McCampbell, Clinton Leberknight and Camden Walent. Their project, Chambersburg Sports Complex, featured an indoor sports facility with turf fields, hardwood courts, locker rooms and concessions. Their adviser was Corey Grove and their mentor was Jen Barnhart of Kegerreis Outdoor Advertising.
Diamond Challenge
The G-AHS team spent the weekend at the University of Delaware after winning regional at the regional level in the international Diamond Challenge. They were one of 50 teams from an initial field of 600 written proposals from around the world to make it to the challenge.
Although they did not make it to the finals, they feel they gave their best presentation and were told they were "extremely well put together," Clare said.
The weekend also offered networking opportunities with their peers from some 20 countries and 9 states, as well as seminars.
They also got to have dinner with their Diamond Challenge mentor, Nafis Azad, the 20-year-old CEO of Ghost Labs, who already owns three businesses, Collin said.