ABERDEEN, S.D. (Press Release) – Eight high school finalists have advanced to the virtual 2020 BIG Idea Final Competition set for Wed., Dec. 9. The Final Competition Awards Ceremony will be live streamed for the public to view on the BIG Idea SD (@BIGIdeaSD) Facebook page starting at 1 p.m. CST. The eight finalists were selected from the 245 applications submitted from 29 different schools. First round judges included 126 volunteers along with 111 college entrepreneurship and business students.
During the BIG Idea Final Competition, finalists will have six minutes to present their idea to a panel of judges and compete for over $30,000 in cash prizes and scholarships.
The eight finalists are:
2020 BIG Idea Finalists
| Business Name | Team Members | School Name | School Advisor |
| Essential Errands | Alexis Ninneman | Milbank High School | Jerry Janisch |
| Cameron Waste Removal, Inc. | Cameron Gilmore | Blacksburg High School (Virginia) | Independent Study |
| Busy Bees | Megan Nash | Northwestern High School | Anne Frericks |
| SimplyCook | Jordan Schock, Rachel Schallenkamp | McCook Central High School | Terry Rieckman |
| Build A Bouquet | Kara Weiss, Sydney Tedrow | Pierre T.F. Riggs High School | Cheryl Ulmen
|
| Bee’s Boats | Emily Efraimson, Nathan Bellikka | Aberdeen Central High School | Brandt Munsen
|
| Goats-2-Go: Delivering a Goat Load of Fun | Matea Gordon | Sturgis Brown High School | Independent Study |
| LWC Welding and Repair | Ian Lehman | Pierre T.F. Riggs High School | Cheryl Ulmen |
In addition, 66 Marketing Designs were submitted, 57 submitted entries to the Wellness Category Competition, and 63 submitted entries to the Agriculture Innovation Category Competition. All three category winners, below, will be recognized at the Final Competition.
2020 BIG IDEA MARKETING DESIGN WINNER
| Business Name | Team Members | School Name | School Advisor |
| Busy Bees | Megan Nash | Northwestern High School | Anne Frericks |
2020 BIG IDEA WELLNESS CATEGORY WINNER
| Business Name | Team Members | School Name | School Advisor |
| SimplyCook | Jordan Schock, Rachel Schallenkamp | McCook Central High School | Terry Rieckman |
2020 BIG IDEA AGRICULTURE INNOVATION CATEGORY WINNER
| Business Name | Team Members | School Name | School Advisor |
| Erdmann Precision Field Analysis | Tessa Erdmann | Groton High School | Adam Franken |
Prizes for the eight finalists include $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, $250 for third place, and $100 for fourth-eighth place. Scholarships to Northern State University, Presentation College, and SD School of Mines & Technology will also be awarded. The Marketing Design winner will receive $500 in cash, sponsored by McQuillen Creative Group. The Wellness Category winner will receive $500 in cash, sponsored by Sanford Health, and the Agriculture Innovation Category winner will receive $500 in cash, sponsored by the South Dakota Agriculture Foundation. All category winners will also be receiving a $500 scholarship from Northern State University.
The competition encourages students to consider new ideas and opportunities for creating a business in their own region. All students who have participated in the competition are invited to the Awards Ceremony which will feature a business panel of entrepreneurs from the region. For more information about the competition, see www.BIGIdeaSD.com.
Students from the following high schools participated: Aberdeen Central High School, Baltic High School, Belle Fourche High School, Bowdle High School, Brandon Valley High School, Bridgewater-Emery High School, Eureka High School, Florence High School, Groton High School, Harrisburg High School, Hitchcock High School, Blacksburg High School (VA), Hoven High School, Lemmon High School, Leola High School, McCook High School, Milbank High School, Northwestern High School, Pierre T.F. Riggs, Redfield High School, Roncalli High School, Rutland High School, Sturgis Brown High School, Sully Buttes High School, Vermillion High School, Watertown High School, Waverly/South Shore High School, Webster High School, Willow Lake High School