Oldenburg, IN – The Maverick Challenge, a business planning competition was hosted at Oldenburg Academy on December 14, 2017. Community judges adjudicated the 14 students based on the business plans and products they created for the competition. Oldenburg Academy and South Ripley both participated in the program from Ripley and Franklin County. Oldenburg Academy had five teams participate and South Ripley had one team.
The Maverick Challenge was started in 2008 by the Columbus Indiana Chamber of Commerce, and has been a growing program since. The competition is intended to simulate the real-world process of entrepreneurs soliciting start-up funds from early-stage investors, successful entrepreneurs and community leaders. Oldenburg Academy Assistant Principal Jonathon Maple is the head of the Franklin/Ripley County competition and leads the challenge at the school, “I’m so proud of the students – they challenged themselves to go through a process that is preparing them for any career they choose.” Students had the opportunity to work with business and community mentors as well as experience feedback from professional judges.
The winners were announced and they received cash prizes. Third place winner, which received $150, was 2 Fresh 2 Go, a food truck that would utilize locally grown foods to produce foods; this business plan was created by Stuart Lamping and Dalton Mooney. Second place winner receiving $250 was Kitten’s Jerky Company, a locally-owned jerky company that plans to grow into a large manufacture of jerky; this business was planned by Kyle Kline and Levi Stenger. The first place winner received $150 and went to Three Scoops, a high end dessert bar with catering service. “A lot of food companies this year, which was very interesting – all of the teams did a wonderful job planning their business and going through the process,” Maple commented. The top three teams will move on to the Spring Maverick Challenge Regional Competition, where nine counties will compete against each other, hosted by Columbus Area Chamber of Commerce.
Ripley County Genesis Pathways To Success, Ripley County Community Foundation, Franklin County Community Foundation, Oldenburg Academy and the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce all sponsor the challenge. “We truly cannot have this without their support and assistance, we are so grateful to live and work in such a supportive community,” Maple commented.
Anyone interested in getting involved with the 2017 Maverick Challenge can contact Jonathon Maple at [email protected], Maple encourages involvement, “it is a great opportunity to work with some truly innovative and inspiring students in southeastern Indiana.” Maple was encouraged by the growth of the challenge, “it was great to see South Ripley join us this year – they truly did a fantastic job, for their first year. We hope other schools recognize the opportunities the Maverick Challenge provides and will join us in the future.”
