Chamber Hosts 2024 Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
The McPherson Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (YEC) on December 9th. McPherson High School students from Chris Strathman’s entrepreneur class presented their business ideas during a 4-minute pitch to judges and showcased their concepts to the public through trade show displays. These presentations followed the submission of their executive summaries for evaluation.
As a Network Kansas Entrepreneurship Community, the McPherson Chamber organizes the YEC each year to foster entrepreneurship and community engagement. Debbie Hawkinson, the Chamber’s Executive Director, emphasized the organization’s commitment to supporting business success, from start-up to expansion, by connecting entrepreneurs with vital resources. She encouraged students to remain motivated and transform their entrepreneurial visions into reality.
This year’s first-place winners were Izabel Backhus and Kelby Boughfman with Streets to Shelters, a proposed nonprofit organization aimed at collecting and distributing community donations to provide essential clothing to local shelters and individuals in need. They also earned eligibility to compete in the state competition in Manhattan on April 17th.
Second place went to Dylan Hall for Empowering Possibility, a nonprofit initiative designed to assist financially struggling families in affording school lunches for their children. Aiden Pattison and Wade Benham secured third place with Bio Wrap, an eco-friendly and sustainable packaging solution aimed at reducing carbon footprints and minimizing pollution. Backhus and Boughfman’s Streets to Shelters also won the People’s Choice Award, as voted by the public. A total of 14 students participated, representing 10 business concepts.
The McPherson Chamber extends heartfelt gratitude to the local judges who dedicated their time and expertise to the event: Mikel Golden (McPherson Police Department), Crystal Toews (Primary Residential Mortgage), Zack Singleton (Central States Marketing and Manufacturing), Amy Beckman (McPherson College), Shyanne Jones (McPherson County K-State Research and Extension), and Ben Coffey (The Ark Antiques and Flea Market).
The event concluded with lunch, an awards ceremony, and an inspiring keynote address by Rebecca Sweaney, Network Kansas Product Manager for Rural Entrepreneurship in the South-Central Region. Sweaney, an entrepreneur herself, owns both a hair salon and a coffee shop in Caney, Kansas.
“It’s inspiring for me to see you at this place in your career path that you are coming forth with these ideas and you’re thinking about these ideas of running a business and putting that into our communities,” Sweaney shared. “I appreciate you bringing that here to this challenge.”
Chamber Executive Director Debbie Hawkinson, Network Kansas Product Manager for Rural Entrepreneurship in the South-Central Region, Rebecca Sweaney, present first place winners Kelby Boughfman and Izabel Backhus with their certificates.