STARTedUP Foundation Announces 2025 Innovate WithIN State Champions
INDIANAPOLIS (June 27, 2025) — The STARTedUP Foundation celebrated the next wave of Indiana’s youth entrepreneurs at the 8th annual Innovate WithIN State Finals, held at Clowes Memorial Hall on the campus of Butler University. Ten high school finalist teams from across the state pitched their startups to a panel of business leaders and investors, competing for $25,000 in funding.
The day capped off a months-long journey of ideation, regional competitions, and business development, culminating in one of the most competitive and forward-thinking student entrepreneur showcases to date.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the remarkable students who took the stage at State Finals this year,” said Don Wettrick, CEO of the STARTedUP Foundation. “Behind each of them are teachers who create space for bold ideas, bring in mentors, and inspire students to pursue what’s possible. STARTedUP thrives because Indiana educators believe in fostering innovation in their classrooms.”
Taking home first place this year was Compleyes.ai, founded by Raina Maiga of Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center at Englewood and Truman Greaves of Zionsville Community High School. Their startup uses AI to automate the complex, manual process of environmental compliance reporting for manufacturing companies. Compleyes.ai was awarded $25,000 in seed funding, proudly sponsored by Applied Research Institute (ARI).
“We’re so grateful to both Purdue Polytechnic and Zionsville High School for believing in us,” said Raina Maiga, co-founder of Compleyes.ai. “Truman and I are on a mission, and I know this win is just the beginning. I’m especially excited to continue building Compleyes.ai at Cornell this fall through their student accelerator.”
The second place recognition went to Septo, created by Alexis Karahalios, Abby Mena, and Jocelyn Aguirre of Munster High School. Septo is a plant-powered, X-shaped bandage that wraps around vulnerable joints to noninvasively monitor infections in real time. The team was awarded $5,000 in funding.
Third place was awarded to NextGen Research Institute, founded by Prabanjan Jayachandran and Tianle Liang of Zionsville Community High School. Their platform connects high school students to real-world research opportunities, helping them gain experience that open doors to top-tier college admissions. NextGen has received $2,500 in funding.
Rounding out the winners was SpheriLine, which received the People’s Choice Award after an enthusiastic vote from attendees and online supporters. Founded by Kelly Fulk and Maxwell Gootee of Carmel High School, SpheriLine offers a reimagined central line device aimed at reducing infection risk, improving patient comfort, and supporting frontline nurses. The team took home a $1,500 prize.
Governor Mike Braun was both shocked and impressed that the state finalists are already bringing in revenues and seeing growth.
“When I came here at first, I thought it was gonna be more like projects that didn't have a business already in motion,” said Gov. Braun, “And I was asking them, well, what are your revenues? They have revenues already, they have plans to scale it, that’s impressive… Innovate WithIN is invaluable if we want to make sure future generations are going to pick up the gauntlet.”
This year’s Teacher of the Year was awarded to Craig Harper, who teaches Biomedical Science at Carmel High School. Harper was recognized for his outstanding commitment to student growth, specifically for opening his classroom to mentorship, entrepreneurial exploration, and career-aligned opportunities in the biomedical field.
The Partner of the Year honor went to Raman Ohri, a longtime supporter of youth innovation and real-world application of emerging technologies. Ohri has led hands-on workshops on artificial intelligence for both students and teachers, helping demystify AI development and foster a culture of innovation across learning communities.
The Alumnus of the Year recognition went to Faith Spencer for her continued work advancing youth entrepreneurship. Based in Gary, Indiana, Spencer has become a vital ecosystem builder as her nonprofit, IronWorkz, is supporting emerging founders, launching new initiatives, and giving back to the same community that sparked her own journey through Innovate WithIN.
In preparation for the State Finals, the top ten teams participated in an intensive eight-week bootcamp designed to accelerate their ventures through real-world feedback and skill development. Midway through the program, students gathered for a two-day in-person session hosted by the Lacy School of Business at Butler University and 16 Tech Innovation District. At Butler, over 30 seasoned mentors met one-on-one with student teams for deep-dive coaching and venture refinement. The following day at 16 Tech, students tackled a collaborative Innovation Challenge and participated in an entrepreneurial panel discussion featuring business leaders, startup founders, and seasoned operators.
After the competition, all finalist teams continued their journey to Washington, D.C. as part of an immersive, post-finals entrepreneurship experience. Site visits included engagements with the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy, LINK Strategic Partners, and Anduril, offering students a firsthand look at the intersections of innovation, diplomacy, and cutting-edge technology. Students will also attend an Entrepreneurship Ecosystem Panel hosted by IU Innovates. Personalized crisis coaching will take place at Pinkston, followed by a presentation in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, and a tour of the Capitol Building led by congresswoman Erin Houchin. The trip culminated in a signature networking event: Hoosier Hub: Connecting Indiana Innovators in DC, designed to unite Indiana-connected professionals from Ice Miller LLP, the STARTedUP network, and beyond, providing students with invaluable connections and feedback to strengthen and scale their ventures.
We extend our sincere appreciation to the sponsors and partners who make Innovate WithIN possible: Applied Research Institute, Beck's Hybrids, BIC, Butler Lacy School of Business, Butler University, Circular Venture Labs, City of Carmel, Doral, Don Wood Foundation, EdChoice, Floyd County Redevelopment Commission, Hancock Health, IKORCC, Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Indiana Small Business Development Center, Indiana State Fair, Indiana Tech, Innovation Connector, Kaps for Kids, Legacy Foundation, Lifeboost Coffee, MISO, National Guard, Purdue Daniels School of Business, SEP, TCC, TechPoint, Telamon, The Garrett Companies, and 16 Tech.
We also gratefully acknowledge the institutions and organizations that hosted our 2025 regional pitch competitions: Indiana University Indianapolis, IU Innovates, IU Indianapolis’s Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana, Maker13, Old National Bank, Purdue Innovates, Purdue University Northwest, and the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest.
Finally, we extend a heartfelt congratulations to all ten finalist teams of the 2025 Innovate WithIN State Finals. Your creativity, passion, and dedication embody what this program is all about. From bold ideas to thoughtful execution, you’ve each shown what’s possible when students are given the tools and the trust to lead.
Lovey Duv | Lyla Schultz | Perry Central Jr-Sr High School
True Blue | Lydia Yoder, Kyla La Rue | Dekalb High School
Septo | Alexis Karahalios, Abby Mena, Jocelyn Aguirre | Munster High School
Visitube | Max Vanderhoof, Kishan Patel, Hikari Shiga | Floyd Central High School
NextGen Research Institute | Prabanjan Jayachandran, Tianle Liang | Zionsville Community High School
SpheriLine | Kelly Fulk, Maxwell Gootee | Carmel High School
Tailored Bites | Ruby Campbell-Carpenter, Emma Sanders | AMP Lab at Electric Works, North Side High School, Wayne High School
Safety Glow | Ashton Verbish | Hanover Central High School
GripGuard Soccer Socks | Leanna Rotondo | Charlestown Senior High School
Compleyes.ai | Raina Maiga, Truman Greaves | Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center at Englewood, Zionsville Community High School
