2013 Youth Business Plan Competition Winners Announced

8th year of Youth Entrepreneur Showcase Business Plan Statewide Competition for fifth through eighth grade students.

Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), an affiliate of The Arkansas Capital Corporation, today announced the winners of the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase (Y.E.S.) statewide youth business plan competition for grades five through eight. Today’s winners, announced at Park Plaza Mall in Little Rock, Ark., were selected from 25 finalist teams that were announced in December. The competition included 204 teams made up of more than 600 students across Arkansas. Y.E.S. students from across the state work in small groups, led by their teacher advisors, to develop and market a business concept. The winners in the four competition categories are as follows

Best Business Plan

• First – Magnetic Jewelry Inc., Christ the King Catholic School, Little Rock Advisor: Marie Ryan Students: Adeline Harton and Sarah Meeks
• Second – CaraBooTique, Pinkston Middle School, Mountain Home Advisor: Kristi Nelson Student: Cara Conner
• Third – The Ultimate Locker Shelf, Greenbrier Junior High School, Greenbrier Advisor: Misty Burgess Students: Brandon Casey, Ashley Page and Tanner Sublett
• Fourth – Interchangeables, Christ the King Catholic School, Little Rock Advisor: Marie Ryan Students: Natalie Harris, Anna Kate Manchester and Blakely Duke

Best Marketing Piece

• First – Cone Cookie Company, Prairie Grove Middle School, Prairie Grove Advisor: Dustin Seaton Students: Carter McKenzie, Kade Mitchell, Griffin Roton and Atticus Warren
• Second – Interchangeables, Christ the King Catholic School, Little Rock Advisor: Marie Ryan Students: Natalie Harris, Anna Kate Manchester and Blakely Duke
• Third – The PB&J Style Company, Christ the King Catholic School, Little Rock Advisor: Marie Ryan Student: Rachel Frank
• Fourth – Cache River Picks, Hazen Elementary School, Hazen Advisor: Lisa Martin Student: Cutler Taylor

Best Retail Booth Display

• First – Flower Fresh, Cutter Morning Star Elementary School, Hot Springs Advisor: Deborah Giusti Students: Liberty Voydetich, Grace Slick and Haley Scott
• Second – the PB&J Style Company, Christ the King Catholic School, Little Rock Advisor: Marie Ryan Student: Rachel Frank
• Third – S.L.A.K., Omaha Middle School, Omaha Advisor: Pam Hopkins Students: Lauren Moore, Alexas Sanders and Kaitlynn Youngblood
• Fourth – Cache River Picks, Hazen Elementary School, Hazen Advisor: Lisa Martin Student: Cutler Taylor

Most Innovative

• First – Cone Cookie Company, Prairie Grove Middle School, Prairie Grove Advisor: Dustin Seaton Students: Carter McKenzie, Kade Mitchell, Griffin Roton and Atticus Warren
• Second – Magnetic Jewelry Inc., Christ the King Catholic School, Little Rock Advisor: Marie Ryan Students: Adeline Harton and Sarah Meeks
• Third – CaraBooTique, Pinkston Middle School, Mountain Home Advisor: Kristi Nelson Student: Cara Conner
• Fourth – Waki Wax, Greenbrier Junior High School, Greenbrier Advisor: Misty Burgess Students: Sarah Byrum, Jarrett Holloway, Miles Johnson and Alex Massey

Winning team members for first place in each category received a $100 cash prize and a medal. The teacher advisor of the first place teams took home an additional $500 and a trophy. Second, third and fourth places winners in each category also received prizes. Team finalists and winners of the Y.E.S. business plan competition are selected by Arkansas business leaders who serve as volunteer judges. The Arkansas Capital Corporation Group (ACCG) is a privately held group of for-profit and non-profit corporations dedicated to improving the lives of Arkansans. ACCG and its affiliate companies empower entrepreneurs by providing capital to businesses through its lending programs and advocating for entrepreneurs through capital, educational and technological improvements. ACCG serves as the platform from which new opportunities are launched and today includes eight affiliates including Arkansas Capital Corporation (ACC), Six Bridges Capital Corporation (6BCC), Arkansas Capital Relending Corporation (ACRC), Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), Diamond State Ventures (DSV), Heartland Renaissance Fund (HRF), Connect Arkansas, and Pine State Capital (PSC). Arkansas Economic Acceleration Foundation (AEAF), established in 1999, is a private, 501(c)3 non-profit corporation dedicated to education-based initiatives that promote and foster the development of innovation and entrepreneurship within Arkansas. With broad support from the state’s business community, AEAF’s purpose is to nurture people and ideas to generate future Arkansas entrepreneurs. AEAF established and now manages the Donald W. Reynolds Governor’s Cup, a collegiate business plan competition, as well as business plan competitions for grades 5-8 via the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase (Y.E.S.) and grades 9-12 through the Youth Entrepreneur Showcase 2.0 (Y.E.S. 2.0).