Bryce Peak, senior at Brownstown Central High School, won the 13th annual Maverick Challenge Jackson County for his business idea, Jackson County Drone Service.
Seymour High School student Jacob Rennekamp was awarded second place for his idea of a trash bin cleaning service, Fresh Start Bins, during the Maverick Challenge Jackson County.
Juana Diego and Marcela Diego, students at Seymour High School, tied for third place Thursday during the Jackson County Maverick Challenge at the Jackson County Chamber office in Seymour. Their concept was for Sweet Home Café, where they would sell coffee brewed from beans from family land in Guatemala.
Brownstown Central High School student Ben Hicks tied for third place in the Maverick Challenge Jackson County. Hicks’ idea was for a 3D printing business, EVOLV3D.
According to a study conducted by the National Association of Realtors, homes listed with aerial drone footage sell 68% faster than those listed with standard images.
This is one fact that inspired Brownstown Central High School senior Bryce Peak to start his own drone shooting business, Jackson County Drone Service.
On Wednesday afternoon, Peak was one of several local high school students who presented their business ideas to Maverick Challenge Jackson County judges at the Jackson County Chamber office at 105 S. Chestnut St. in Seymour.
Jackson County schools have participated in the Maverick Challenge under Bartholomew County since 2011, with the county champion competing in the regional competition with surrounding counties. This year, after Bartholomew County opted to discontinue coordinating the regional program. the Jackson County Industrial Development Corp. decided to continue the county program.
Under a new name, Maverick Challenge Jackson County, the county team created a new mission statement, logo and program plan that corresponds with State Innovate WithIN. This year, 50 teams comprised of 85 students from Brownstown Central, Seymour High School, Trinity Lutheran High School and Medora Junior-Senior High School competed. This was the first year that students from Medora participated.
After presenting “Business Elevator Pitches” to a team in September, students who were given the go-ahead created videos and presentations in January. Ten finalists (solo or as a team) were selected for oral presentations before a panel of judges, which occurred Wednesday afternoon.
“With limited accessibility to dedicated drone photography, customers are missing out on more innovative and creative shots,” Peak said during his presentation. “The old way of doing things is now outdated and people expect more.”
Peak told the judges business owners and other professionals are paying higher prices to outsource services that he could do locally at a more cost-effective price.
“By hiring me as their drone pilot, (Realtors) are freeing up time to focus on their work instead of editing and shooting images to include in their listings,” Peak said.
Peak was announced as the winner of the 13th annual Maverick Challenge Thursday morning.
The runner-up was Jacob Rennekamp, who attends Seymour High School. Rennekamp presented his idea for a trash bin cleaning service, Fresh Start Bins.
“Everyone’s taken out the trash, right?” Rennekamp asked, then told judges to raise their hand if they have. “Who likes it?”
The hands shot down and the room erupted in laughter.
Rennekamp said the primary reason people do not like taking out the trash is the smell. To solve this, Rennekamp found a sprayable solution which his business can use to clean customers’ trash bins.
Two teams tied for third place. Seymour students Juana Diego and Marcela Diego came up with an idea for a coffee shop, Sweet Home Café. The shop would provide customers with a safe, welcoming environment and utilize beans from family land in Guatemala. Also tied for third, Brownstown Central student Ben Hicks developed an idea for a 3D printing service, EVOLV3D.
There also was a tie for fifth place. Seymour student Elmer Vicente devised an idea for an online-based clothing store centered around cultural designs. Elisha Murphin and Carolyn Sparks, the first students from Medora to make it to oral presentations for the Maverick Challenge, presented their idea for a portable refrigerator, FroGo.
Having took the spot at the county level, Peak will now prepare for the regional competition.
Funding partners for Maverick Challenge Jackson County include JCBank, Brownstown Ewing Mainstreet, Jackson County Chamber, Seymour Main Street and the JCIDC Workforce Partnership.
13th annual Maverick Challenge Jackson County results:
First place: Jackson County Drone Service, Bryce Peak, Brownstown Central High School, $2,500
Second place: Fresh Start Bins, Jacob Rennekamp, Seymour High School, $2,000
Third place (tie): Sweet Home Café, Juana Diego and Marcela Diego, Seymour High School, $650; EVOLV3D, Ben Hicks, Brownstown Central High School, $650.
Fifth place (tie): Vicente Clothing, Elmer Vicente, Seymour High School, $300; FroGo, Elisha Murphin and Carolyn Sparks, $300
Participation awards: B&E Repair, Blaine Wehmiller and Emalee Gross, Trinity Lutheran High School, $100 each; BYOB Liv’s Designs, Olivia Clark, Seymour High School, $100; L&P Junk Removal, Levi Pottschmidt and Peyton Pollert, Trinity Lutheran High School, $100 each; Platinum NC, Alfredo Juan, Seymour, $100