Carmel & Zionsville students among The STARTedUP Foundation’s ‘Innovate WithIN’ state finalists

The excitement and creativity were undeniable as the 2025 Innovate WithIN Regional Competitions wrapped up, spotlighting Indiana’s exceptional high school entrepreneurs.

After spirited competition and careful consideration, The STARTedUP Foundation has announced the 10 winning teams advancing to the State Finals. Each regional competition crowned one team, while four additional teams earned their place through wildcard selections. These finalists showcased remarkable innovation, entrepreneurial insight, and determination.

The teams moving forward to the State Finals are:

• Region 1: Lovey Duv | Lyla Schultz | Perry Central Jr-Sr High School
• Region 2: SpheriLine | Kelly Fulk, Maxwell Gootee | Carmel High School
• Region 3: compleyes.ai | Raina Maiga, Truman Greaves | Purdue Polytechnic High School Schweitzer Center at Englewood, Zionsville Community High School, respectively
• Region 4: Safety Glow | Ashton Verbish | Hanover Central High School
• Region 5: True Blue | Lydia Yoder, Kyla La Rue | Dekalb High School
• Region 6: Visitube | Max Vanderhoof, Kishan Patel, Hikari Shiga | Floyd Central High School

Wildcard Selections

• Region 2: NextGen Research Institute | Prabanjan Jayachandran, Tianle Liang | Zionsville Community High School
• Region 4: Septo | Alexis Karahalios, Abigil Mena, Jocelyn Aguirre | Munster High School
• Region 5: Tailored Bites | Ruby Campbell-Carpenter, Emma Sanders | AMP Lab at Electric Works, North Side High School, Wayne High School
• Region 6: GripGuard Soccer Socks | Leanna Rotondo | Charlestown Senior High School

Each finalist will receive $1,000 per team member to refine and grow their business concepts over the next two months. This crucial funding helps students transform their innovative ideas into actionable businesses in preparation for the State Finals at Butler University, hosted by Butler’s Lacy School of Business, set for June 20.

Thank you to these regional hosts who made these events possible:

• Region 1: Old National Bank
• Region 2: Purdue Innovates, Purdue University Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation
• Region 3: Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering in Indianapolis, Indiana University Indianapolis, and IU Innovates
• Region 4: Purdue University Northwest and The Society of Innovators at PNW
• Region 5: Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana
• Region 6: Maker13, with presenting sponsor Meta

The STARTedUP Foundation also extends immense gratitude to the dedicated sponsors whose generous support ensures these young innovators can pursue their entrepreneurial dreams: Army National Guard, Beck’s Hybrids, BIC, Circular Ventures, City of Bloomington, City of Carmel, Don Wood Foundation, Doral, Floyd County Redevelopment Commission & Root Co-working Space, Garrett Family Foundation, Hancock Health, Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC), Indiana Small Business Development Center (ISBDC), Indiana Tech, Legacy Foundation, SEP, TechPoint, and Telabotics.

The finalists will further benefit from mentorship through a comprehensive eight-week bootcamp, including a two-day in-person workshop hosted by Butler University’s Lacy School of Business and 16 Tech, where they will receive invaluable feedback and insights from local business and community leaders.

At the State Finals, the winning team will receive $25,000 in seed funding to launch their venture. Additionally, finalists will have the opportunity to receive substantial scholarship and incentive offers from DePauw University, Grace College, Indiana Tech, Maker13, Old National Bank, Purdue University Fort Wayne, and Purdue University Northwest.

The Innovate WithIN Regional Finals consistently showcase Indiana’s brightest entrepreneurial minds and their impactful ideas.

About The STARTedUP Foundation
Founded by veteran educator Don Wettrick and former student Hunter Stone, The STARTedUP Foundation (SEUF) launched in 2018 to encourage students to leverage their passions and see real-world problems as entrepreneurial opportunities. Through initiatives like the STARTedUP Innovation Educator Fellowship, SEUF empowers educators to embed innovation into their classrooms, nurturing a culture of creative problem-solving and entrepreneurial education.

About Innovate WithIN
Innovate WithIN, presented by STARTedUP, is the nation’s premier high school entrepreneurial pitch competition. Teams from Indiana’s six regions compete in initial rounds, with regional winners and wildcard teams advancing to the State Finals. Participants vie for significant prizes, including $25,000 in venture funding, scholarship opportunities, and an exclusive trip to Washington, D.C.