Northeast Indiana's Student Entrepreneurs Are Here — Meet the 2026 STARTedUP Regional Finalists
Ten Student Ventures from Northeast Indiana Compete for a Shot at $25,000
The STARTedUP Foundation is proud to announce the regional finalist teams advancing in the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge — Indiana’s premier high school pitch competition, now in its 9th year (formerly known as Innovate WithIN). With a $25,000 grand prize on the line, the STARTedUP Challenge brings together Indiana's brightest young innovators and challenges them to develop real ventures, pitch to judges, and compete for life-changing opportunities. The Northeast Indiana (Region 5) Competition will be held on April 30, 2026 from 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST at Fabiani Theatre at Trine University, hosted in partnership with Trine University. The event is free and open to the public.
How the Competition Works
The 2026 STARTedUP Challenge follows an exciting multi-stage format designed to identify and accelerate Indiana's top young entrepreneurs:
Regionals: April 2026: One winning team will be selected from each of the 7 regional competitions across the state.
Wildcard Selection: 3 additional teams from across Indiana will be chosen as wildcard finalists, bringing the total number of advancing teams to 10.
Regional & Wildcard Prize: Each advancing team member (up to 3 members per team) will receive a $1,000 prize.
6-Week Bootcamp: All 10 advancing teams will enter an intensive bootcamp featuring weekly calls, mentorship opportunities, expert support, and a 2-day in-person experience, all designed to take their ventures to the next level.
Finals: June 12, 2026: The top teams will compete in the STARTedUP Challenge Finals, where the ultimate winner will claim the $25,000 grand prize.
Northeast Indiana Finalists
We are proud to introduce the student teams competing to represent Northeast Indiana at the 2026 STARTedUP Challenge:
BJ's Windows & More: Bryson Baney & Jordan Sheppard | AMP Lab
Bomber Bolt: Liam Gypson | AMP Lab
BotMall: Isaiah Clark | AMP Lab
Do You Know Disabilities?: Austyn Johnson& Susan Anderson | DeKalb High School
FrontLine Exterior Cleaning: Owen Holt | DeKalb High School
Gamefowl Tagging: Saul Badillo | AMP Lab
Reese Olivia Creative: Reese Streicher | Carroll High School
STWRD: Joel Montiel, Owen Bradshaw & Daniel Montiel | Concord Community High School
The Green Mender: John Grimm | DeKalb High School
Timber and Cocoa: Caleb DeGood | Carroll High School
Powered by the Innovation Accelerator Classroom
Many of this year's competing students have been prepared through STARTedUP's Innovation Accelerator; a three-level professional development path that helps teachers bring real-world entrepreneurial thinking into their classrooms. For eight years, STARTedUP has partnered with educators across Indiana to build classroom cultures rooted in innovation, problem solving, and real-world impact. Through the Innovation Accelerator, teachers receive training, coaching, classroom-ready resources, and access to a statewide community of educators doing groundbreaking work. Over the course of the program, students identify real-world problems they care about and build venture concepts with tangible deliverables like prototypes, business models, and pitch presentations. Students have gone on to launch businesses, nonprofits, inventions, services, civic projects, in-school initiatives, and more.
Event Details
Date: April 30, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM EST
Location: Fabiani Theatre at Trine University, 1 University Ave, Angola, IN 46703
Host: Trine University
Admission: Free and open to the public
About the STARTedUP Foundation
The STARTedUP Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to building the next generation of innovators and entrepreneurs across Indiana. Through programs like the STARTedUP Challenge and the Innovation Accelerator, STARTedUP works with students, teachers, and communities to turn classrooms into launchpads for real-world ideas. Now in its 9th year, the STARTedUP Challenge (formerly Innovate WithIN) has grown into the state's premier high school entrepreneurship competition. For more information, visit www.startedup.org.
