By Anna Lardinois, Startup Storyteller
The future of entrepreneurship is glowing bright in the Milwaukee area.
The Wisconsin YES! semi-finalists have been announced. Dubbed the “Studious Sixteen,” 10 of the semi-finalists hale from the metro-Milwaukee area.
Wisconsin YES! (Youth Entrepreneurs in Science) is a statewide youth business plan contest modeled after the Governor’s Business Plan Contest. The mission of the contest is to show young people how science and technology innovations can be developed into solid business plans.
Produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council this contest helps middle- and/or high-school students to better envision careers in science and technology, and especially where those disciplines intersect with the creation and growth of businesses.
The Studious Sixteen
| Submission Name | Name | Community/Grade |
| Ab ´N Oli | Sky Sirinek, Abby Seizer | Wauwatosa/9th grade and under |
| AnywhereTour | Julius Zakaria | Oak Creek/11th grade |
| Becker Beds | Jason Adix | Mequon/11th grade |
| EZ Garden | Lily Wiemer | Wauwatosa/9th grade and under |
| Hung Dung | Derius Lucas | Wauwatosa/9th grade and under |
| Marsupial Undershorts | Cecilia Maricle, Wyatt Linder, Teemu Keinanen, Georgia Maricle, Mikko Keinanen, Nevaeh Prodzinski | Holmen/9th grade and under |
| Metopia | Wyatt Johnson | Burnett/12th grade |
| Relu | Nicholas Hu | Mequon/11th grade |
| Ripe | Wyatt Ehrhardt | Verona/9th grade and under |
| Schlick | Dalton Derringer, Sean Krueger | Crivitz/9th grade and under |
| Signfluent | Emily Scott | Wauwatosa/9th grade and under |
| Step-Up | Frankie Maynard | Brodhead/10th grade |
| Teplos Snowboard/Ski | Wyatt Barker | Appleton/12th grade |
| TouchDrive | Einthiri Mudili | Franklin/11th grade |
| We Invest | Max Ranft | Wauwatosa/9th grade and under |
| Zoom Book | Isabel Taormina | Wauwatosa/9th grade and under |
Phase 2 of the contest will require students to develop detailed business plan in a 1,000-word executive summary. Winners will be announced in early June and will be eligible for prizes. The grand prize winner will have the opportunity to present their product at the Wisconsin Entrepreneurs’ Conference, June 1-2 in Milwaukee.
The Wisconsin YES! contest is produced by the Wisconsin Technology Council. Major support is provided by WEA Trust, and the UW-Madison Office of Business Engagement.