(Ripley County, IN) – Genesis: Pathways to Success, in partnership with the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, is excited to announce the launch of a new entrepreneurial program called the D.I.C.E. (Dreams, Ingenuity, Creativity, & Entrepreneurship) Challenge.
The D.I.C.E. Challenge is the new, rebranded, and improved Maverick Challenge, with a primary goal to inspire young people to learn about entrepreneurship and to see small business creation and ownership as a viable career goal.
The D.I.C.E. Challenge is a regional business planning competition in which high school students in Southeastern Indiana create a business product or service, develop a business plan, and pitch their idea to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs. Their business idea and plan are evaluated and ranked, with the top three teams receiving an investment into their futures.
“The Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce is excited to partner in this regional effort to expand entrepreneurship and business in our local communities,” stated Melissa Tucker, Executive Director of the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce.
Not only will the D.I.C.E. Challenge increase the innovative spirit through Southeastern Indiana, but this competition could serve as a stepping stone and provide students with valuable feedback to give them an advantage in the state-wide competition, Innovate WithIN, where students have the opportunity to collaborate with world-class innovators and receive even larger seed funding for their businesses.
Clarice Patterson, Director of Genesis: Pathways to Success, stated, “The goal of the D.I.C.E. Challenge is to not only inspire young people to learn about entrepreneurship and see small business creation and ownership as a viable career goal but also to understand the vital role an entrepreneur plays within a community – increasing economic growth, providing access to unique goods and services, and even promoting social change.”
Patterson further stated, “Genesis: Pathways to Success and the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce wants students to understand from this competition that Southeastern Indiana
is a place they can continue to reside in (and/or return to) for their entrepreneurial needs and see an opportunity for growth and development.”
Any student attending a school in Southeastern Indiana is eligible to participate in the D.I.C.E. Challenge. The deadline for a team to register for this competition (maximum of three students per team) is Friday, September 1, 2023. The fee is $500 per school for two teams; schools can register more than two teams, but each registration of two teams is $500.
The business planning competition will be held on December 1, 2023, at Ivy Tech Community College in Batesville.
If you are a student with dreams of owning your own small business, this challenge is the perfect start! If you are interested in participating in the D.I.C.E. Challenge, visit https://genesisp2s.org/dicechallenge for more information.
For any questions or concerns, contact Clarice Patterson, Director of Genesis: Pathways to Success, by emailing [email protected], calling (812) 933-1098, or visiting 13 E. George Street, Suite B, in Batesville.
(Genesis: Pathways to Success press release)
