A Photo Collage and Presentation Highlighting Some of the Business Innovation and Entrepreneurism Efforts of Middle and High School Students in the Greater Lansing and Eaton County Michigan areas at the 2015 Lansing Economic Area Partnership Youth Startup Competition.

1. LANSING AREA ECONOMIC
PARTNERSHIP (LEAP) 2015 YOUTH
STARTUP CHALLENGE
by Howard T Spence
Lansing Area Youth Startup Challenge
4.29.2015
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2. The Lansing business
community rallied behind our
middle school and high school
students in the greater Lansing
area to encourage them to
develop skills in innovation and
entrepreneurism.
A special thanks to the Lansing
economic area partnership
(leap) and business sponsors
and scholarship award donors
in the 2015 Lansing youth
startup challenge!
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3. INVESTING IN THE NEXT GENERATION OF
INNOVATORS AND ENTREPRENEURS
• Bob Tresize, President of
LEAP, is as comfortable
in his role of motivating
youth to be the next
generation of business
persons as he is in
meeting with CEOs of
Fortune 500 Companies
to encourage them to
Invest in the Greater
Lansing, Michigan Area!
• Thanks Bob! Thanks
LEAP!
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4. Innovation and Entrepreneurism in the
Schools
• A special thank you and recognition to the dedicated teachers
in our middle schools and high schools in the Tri-County
Lansing region who spent many hours in the classroom and
beyond working with our young students to help them
formulate their dreams and ideas, learn good basic business
skills, and develop simple marketing and business plans.
• These special educators instilled in our young people the
confidence to present their ideas and innovations in a
structured, organized, and hopefully persuasive manner
which will be the basis for business acumen and success in the
future!
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5. Entrepreneurism
Training in the Schools
Pictured is Kelly Williams, Entrepreneurism
Instructor in the Dewitt, Michigan School
District. Several of her students had winning
exhibits and business proposals in the 2015
LEAP Regional competition.
Ms. Williams is about to take ten of her
students to Anaheim, California to compete
in the National Startup Competition for
students! The trip is funded in part from
profits from an ongoing viable business
project conceived and implemented by a
couple of last year’s Dewitt students who
proposed and started a high school grill and
meeting place to sell coffee at Dewitt High
School.
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6. THE JUDGES WERE IMPRESSED FOR SURE!
Many thanks to our
volunteer judges of the
competition at both the
County and the Regional
levels of competition!
Pictured are four volunteer
Judges from the community
who donated their time to
work with LEAP to make this
competition a success!
The kids at this level were
well prepared and Really
could sell their ideas and
products!
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7. Over $10,000 in Cash Prizes and
Investments Were Awarded to Students
Twenty different Business “Teams” of One to three
Students Competed in the 2015 LEAP Regional Finals
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8. The Startup Competition Began
at the County Level
Many student teams developed their business
innovation ideas in local high schools and
Competed at the County Level as a First Step
towards the Prizes and Recognition at the LEAP
Regional Startup Competition
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9. Lansing Area Youth Startup Challenge
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The Goal? The Second Annual LEAP Regional
Youth Startup Challenge Competition Held in
Downtown Lansing at the Lansing Center on
April 29, 2015!

10. I Enjoyed the Eaton County Youth Startup Competition
In Delta Township Held at LCC West Campus in March
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11. Lansing Area Youth Startup Challenge
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Some of the Innovations and
Business Plan Proposals of the Kids at
the Eaton County Level were
Phenomenal! I was so impressed that
I decided to Attend the Final Stage of
the Competition at the Startup
Challenge Held at the Lansing Center!
Not every Great Idea or Business Plan
was entered at the Regional Level,
but there were certainly many
“winners” at the County level!
Entries in Eaton County came from
Charlotte Public Schools, Bellvue
Schools, Maple Valley Schools, Grand
Ledge Schools, and Potterville…

12. Making Money in Business
with Innovative Use of
New Technology
The World changes… Technology
changes… Sometimes young people
are more aware of the evolution of
technology than the older
generation…
One of the entries at the Eaton County
Startup Competition level which did
not get entered at the regional level
was a proposal from a young man from
Charlotte to purchase a Drone with
camera to use to monitor crop
conditions for some local farmers.
His business plan and marketing plan
was well thought out and he wanted
to invest about $1000 in a commercial
grade drone and then market the
services to his neighbors through his
local farm bureau…
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13. Two Students from
Potterville were Pitching an
Athletic Training Camp for
Younger Players
Many new businesses develop from
life experiences of the innovators and
entrepreneurs. These two young men
were already busy trying to organize
and set up a football training camp for
middle school students and young high
school players…
While Mark Dantonio probably does
not have to worry too much about
competition from this new startup in
the near future, these kids will
probably be “winners” because of
their looking at the possibilities for
making money in the athletic training
services area.
I hope their proposed business does
better than the Potterville football
team did last year…
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14. Building and Selling
Cajons!
This young man from Charlotte made
great use of his Latino background and
culture to decide to build Zenritmo
Cajons.
Cajons are musical instruments that
are percussion instruments which act
somewhat like drums or Congas.
He already has taken orders for his
product and is starting to see his
business take off…
This innovation and entrepreneurial
effort won this young man second
prize and “muchos dinero” at the
Lansing Regional Startup Competition
in Lansing on April 29!
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15. Abby’s Apparel – Take an
Old Idea and Make it Work
Today
One of my personal favorites from the
Regional Startup Competition was
Abby’s Apparel. These two young
ladies at the middle school level took
an old business concept – selling
“gently used and refurbished clothes”
– and gave it new life with an
enhanced marketing approach and
concept.
Look at those smiles! These young
ladies could sell oil to the Saudis!
Their business plan was very polished
and well thought out. Buy used clothes
cheap at Good Will or other low cost
locations, repair and maybe restyle,
then sell for $10 to their friends and
neighbors.
Yep… Lovely, Friendly Eaton County
kids… From Maple Valley schools!
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16. Use technology and
Aggressive Marketing to
Make A Business Take Off!
Abby’s Apparel uses social media to
make their product available to
potential customers, and even will
seek out and do customized clothing
to meet needs or desires of
customers…
Someone has clearly made an “invest-
MINT in training and working with
these two young ladies!
Yeah, the mints in the fancy handout
packages were designed to influence
the judges with sweet tooth issues… ;-)
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17. Innovation adds Great
Value to Low Cost
Ingredients!
This couple is also an entry from Eaton
County. They left the Regional LEAP
Startup Competition with some big
money..
Their innovation or idea? Simple…
Starter plants growing in bio-
degradable packaging (newspaper
planter pots) that can be planted
easily without repotting.
Maybe this is something that derives
from what they learned in a science
class in their high school? I think they
are seniors at either Grand Ledge HS
or Charlotte HS… Kudos!
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18. THE LEAP REGIONAL STARTUP
COMPETITION ON APRIL 29, 2015
A busy, fun day for serious young business owners or professionals
determined to be “winners” in even tough markets!
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19. Bob Tresize Started the LEAP Youth Startup Competition
by Speaking to the Young Innovators and Business
People About How they Could Help Shape the Future of
Our Lansing Region and Our Country
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20. Lansing Area Youth Startup Challenge
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So How Are You Guys Going to Make Money? What Problems Do You Anticipate
Having to Solve to Make Your Businesses Work?

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Yes, Microsoft Started in a Garage As Somebody’s Idea …

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You Guys Rock! Now Go Out
there and Show the Judges
Your Innovations and Business
Plans!!

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Rushing out to Face the Judges and
Explain Innovations and Business
plans

24. FEATURED BUSINESS INNOVATIONS AND
STARTUP CASE STUDY PRESENTATIONS
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25. SOME OF THE INNOVATIONS AND
BUSINESS PLANS PRESENTED AT THE
YOUTH STARTUP CHALLENGE
A Snapshot of What Some of these Kids Came Up with in the Competition
for the Cash Awards Provided by the Sponsors… Their Proposals Showed
a Lot of Thought and Ingenuity! Wish I had more Time to Talk to All the
Kids!
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A COLLAGE OF PHOTOS FROM THE STARTUP
CHALLENGE

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So What is Your Idea, and How Will You Make
Money?

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We Redesign, We Repair… We Make YOU look really Good!

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No Problem. We Sell a Lot of Things! Want a Used Book?

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We Are Going to Make Lots of Money Before We Get to High School. We Can
Cook! We’re From Leslie, Michigan…

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The Biodegradable Newspaper Retains Moisture in the Root Areas… The Seeds
Are Very Cheap, and the News Paper for the Root Boxes is Practically Free!

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Yes I Participated in the First Competition Last Year… I Make Tee Shirt Designs,
and I Also Make Tattoo Designs. I Want to Become a Tattoo Design Artist!

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Happy to Represent Eastern High School! Yes, Black Lives Matter… My Friends
Like and Buy the Tee Shirts I Design!

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Artistic Talent Can Translate Into Commercial Dollars!

34. Yes, I am Sure it Will Make a Lot of Money…
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I am Heading Off to College. I Want to Start a Business Dealing With Athletic
Activity and Health and Exercise!

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Did You Hear That? Do You Really Think That Will Work?

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“SHE,” the Designer of Women’s Basketball Uniforms, Was the Overall Grand Prize
Winner in the 2015 LEAP Startup Competition…

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I Do Love to Bake… My Friends All Like My Products. I Have a Special Recipe!

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Yes, We Already Sell Some of These Gabbi’s We Make to Our Friends in Middle
School… These Are Our School Colors… What Color Do You Want?

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Are You Sure About That, Mr. Tresize?

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Thanks, Mr. Tresize… I Will Remember That. That Makes Some Sense…

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That’s a Very Good Idea… How Much Money Will You Need to Start That
Business? Here’s Something Else to Think About…

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Yeah… Good Idea… I Think That Will Work!

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I Am Off to Northwoods U, But I Want to Eventually Open Up An Indoor Sports
Center… It will Be Big… Cost Maybe $250,000 to Build… But I Will Be a Winner!

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Yeah, I Will Make Lots of Money! I Already Sold Some. They Don’t Take Me Long
to Make. You Want to Buy One? Bet You Have Good Rhythm …

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As You Can See From My PowerPoint®, I Have Already Thought About That… My
Passion for this Business Will Make Me Be a Success!

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That is a Really Good Idea…
Smile into the Camera and
Explain How You Thought of
That!
I Bet You Win Something!

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The Product and Start Up Costs Are Very Small… The Profits Will Be Very Large!

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So Yes, You See, There is a
Big Demand for these Really
Nice and Inexpensive
Clothing Items Here in
Lansing…
This Will Help People Live
Better and Cheaper!

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The First Place Winner at the LEAP regional Startup Competition was a company
team which designed and marketed athletic clothing especially for females.
Apparently the major market has not yet begun to produce and market basketball
outfits especially for young women!

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So Yes, You Are Definitely a Winner. I Guess Your Family is Very Proud of You!

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Congratulations! Impressive!! I Guess That Check Is All Profit?

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Thanks to the Lansing Economic
Area Partnership for The Hard
Work Every Day to Attract New
Businesses and Opportunities to
the Greater Lansing Area –
Including Eaton County!
I Am Proud That I Was Involved in
Getting Eaton County to Become
a Part of the LEAP Economic
Development Activity Here in
Mid-Michigan and the Greater
Lansing Area…
Let’s Get More Kids Involved in
Business, Innovation, Dreaming,
and Marketing. We Need All
Options for Our Next Generation
Including Factory Work, Skilled
Trades, Professions and Services…

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Can’t Wait Until Next Year’s Competition! I Hope More Schools – Like Waverly,
Sexton, Everett, East Lansing, Holt and Even Okemos Get Involved in this Startup
Competition! And Maybe More Minority Kids Can Be Encouraged to Become
Innovators and Dreamers and Business Persons Too?