


25 YEARS OF SUPPORTING INNOVATION

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PAST WINNERS
2001
First Place: Rocky Mountaineering Inc.
Marvin Perry, Joe Pawlicki, and Lacey Songer
Second Place: Windswept Energy Solution
Mather Barry
2002
First Place: Heartland BioComposites
Heath Van Eaton
Finalists:
- Birch Enterprises: Shane Birch, Hong Zhao, Scott Robinson, and Jacalyn Neely
- Extreme Angles: Zach Orenczak
- weRamerica.com: Lauren Colaric
2003
First Place: Windswept Energy Solution
Barry Mather
Finalists:
- CMS: Ole Axvig, Lisa Schrage, Lusine Ghevondyan, and Wei Kang
- Kiwi Industries: Ben Brooks, Kellie Fairbanks, John Conder, Leo Sano, and Keenan Hendon
- MapShare: Dan Randolph, Terri Watson, and Clay Mizer
2004
First Place: Table Mountain Vineyards
Patrick & Amie Zimmerer
Second Place: Magnetic Ray’s
Bryan Ray and Shane Buller
Third Place:
- TST, LLC: Eric Coates
- MLB: Brian Bartlette, Lyndi Preator, and Matt Bryce
2005
First Place: WyoBigen
Mandy Kinnan, Ben Brooks, and Dina Dudley
Second Place: Wonders of the Old World
Julija Zommere and Anton Rebguns
Third Place: Cowboy Book Swap
David Primus, Zach Parrie, and Jacob Dolence
Finalists:
- Changing Leaf Designs: Scott Hunter
- Leisure Journals: William Maxwell
- Slice Industries: Ken Wilhelm, Shaun Wilhelm, and Carl Wilhelm
2006
Winner: Growing Gorgeous Seed Jewelry
Betsy Mock and Erin Bratton
Second Place: Rainbow Dressings
Dan Jones and Krista Jones
Third Place: Gilliards
Darek Farmer, Stephen Sprinkle, and Kate Kaltenheuser
Finalists:
- Mobile Oil Change: Jesse Sevier and Josh Hoch
- PooPatrol: Kate Kaltenheuser and Darek Farmer
2007
Winner: FireWise Forest Management
Jeff Smith
Second Place: H.S.S. Mecates
Sean Cannady and Heather Grimm
Third Place: Chip ‘n Dip
Finalists:
- Platte Valley Decoy Company
- Trace Detection Technologies
- Verge Omnimedia
2008
Winner: Green Construction
Joe Killpack and Jared Killpack
Second Place: OxiSense Marine
Luke Schneider and Weston Welch
Third Place: Proof Foundry
Josef Pohl
2009
Winner: United Plastics
Keegan Delaney, Michael Shirley, Rene Alber, and P.J. Shumway
Second Place: Dinner Maid Simple
Cortney Thoren
Third Place: Sensor Technologies
Shipra Mehta and Yekaterina Minaicheva
Finalists:
- Olympus Mons Sporting Goods: Chris Askin, Tyler Gentry, Mandy Fabel, and Katelyn Kovacik
- Region Careers
2010
Winner: Boost Audio Sound Systems
Erik Gjording
Second Place: BigStar Livestock Images
Kassi Bauman
Third Place: Ballistic Motion Athletics
Brian Sinner
Most Creative Business Plan: BigStar Livestock Images
Best Presentation: BigStar Livestock Images
Finalists
- Weatherization Software Solutions: Jeff Fife
2011
First Place (Two-Way Tie):
- Bright Agrotech: Paul Bennick and Nate Storey
- glycoBac: Christoph Geisler
Third Place: SeppCo Insurance Solutions
Shantel Seppla
Most Creative Business Plan: Ghost Owl Myconautical Industries
CJ Stewarts and Bennett Simpson
Best Presentation: glycoBac
Finalists:
- SEC Mobile Lifestyle Fitness: Sarah Clark
2012
Winner: PlanktOMICS Algae Bioservices
Levi Lowder, Jacob L. Miller, Min-0Hyung Ru, and Stephen K. Herbert
Second Place: Vertikle Enterprises
David Thayer, Qihang Sun, Walter Wilson, Breandan Bryant, Douglas Wilson, Zhouyan Sun, and Sharlee Mahoney
Third Place: 7200 Ft Productions
Emily Robinson and Daniel Adams
Best Presentation: How Power Yoga
Cheyenne Wortham and Mallory Wortham
Most Creative Business Plan: 7200 Ft Productions
Student Choice Award: PlanktOMICS
Finalists:
- Greek Me: Zeb Fross and Odion Oisamoje
- MudSlideTech: Jeff Watters
2013
Winner: Rave Nation
Shawheen Amirkhizi
Second Place: Ky[E]nterprise LLC
Kyle Thoman
Third Place: Pollution Control Technologies
Kaspars Krutkramelis and Rdolfo Monterroso
Best Presentation: Rho Zero Fermentation
Elizabeth Hiatt, Dr. Mary Thorsness, Dr. Peter Thorsness and Dr. Brian Francis
Most Creative Business Plan: Eos Labs
Min-Hyung Ryu, Gavin Lawlis, Mark Gomelsky
Student Choice Award: Ky[E]nterprise LLC
2014
Winner: Bridge Sense
McKenzie Danforth and Mike Jung
Second Place: Snuffi Candle Company
Natalie Hurst
Third Place: BusMark
Brad Kovach, Conner Hunsaker, and Zane Erickson
Best Presentation: Kid Routine
Ben Sims and Travis Gardner
Most Creative Business Plan: Pharm Decision, LLC
Luke Wood, Joshua Hall, Rebecca Pullos, and Lisa Ohnstad
2015
Winner: Cruxx Climbing Company
McKenzie Danforth, Tabitha Briscoe, and Mike Jung
Second Place: Spigot
Laurel Winkenwerder
Third Place: Vee Bee Farm
Carrie Ver Burg, Mark Ver Burg, Steve Ver Burg
Best Presentation: Wyoming Skills Academy
Aaron Tyser
Most Creative Business Plan: Catering Calculator
McConnel Kenneth and Michael Astleford
Other competitors:
- Crowdfunding: Duncan McLaurin
- Project Central: Bethany Adams
- Study Sense: Haylee Hornbeck
2016
Winner: SanMon
Trevor Trouchon
Second Place: Paradox
Vinay Ramakishnaiah and Ye Feng
Third Place: Cowboy Performance and Manufacturing
Kyle Kuhn
Video Pitch Fan Favorite: RotiMagic
Dilraj Kaur
Other Competitors:
- Truck Foods: Duncan Mclaurin
- Guard the Grey Matter: Julia Wickerath
- $ave My Health: Levi Kelly
- AdFluence: Domenic Damico
- GuardFraug: Rolf Schuster
- Paradox: Vinay Ramakrishnaiah
- Hound: Tabitha Briscoe
- Elevate Crate: Vince Sleep
- MED BOW Skis: Weston Walker
- ExpeditionDe: Chelsea Hampton
- Rocky Mountain Character Factory: Justin Roe
- Precision Probiotics: Boris Plotkin
2017
First Place: Lev’Sonic
Levente Pap
Second place: Valued Energy Platform
Greyson Buckingham and John Lee
Third Place: Atmosphere Marketing
Dallin Cooper
Video Pitch Fan Favorite: PhotoHound
Keegan Haukass, Jack Murdock, Samuel Robertson, and Jordan Bates
Other Competitors:
- SAMC: Andrew McLaughlin
- Precision Probiotics: Boris Plotkin
- Brad J. Orr: Brad Orr
- Clear Skies Planning: Kenneth Brenneman
- Dialogued Data: Patricia Claire Dinneen
- Calendar Connect: John Lee
- Skeye: Matthew Lehmitz
- Hill Family Crawfish: David Hill
- 1883 Ranch, LLC: Jace Linke
- emmi: Jessenia Abarca
- Wyoming Wheels: James Francis
- AquaLux: Justin Oborny
- WY Events Company: Joseph Sanchez
- The Uglies Organics: Kenna Johnson
- Inland Energy: Levi Kelly
- BioScanCam: Maja Gorsic
- Cronin Construction & Resource Management, LLC: Matthew Cronin
- Queens Players Theatre Troupe: Micaela O’Connor
- Wyoming Coatings/ Powder River Resdiential Services (PRRS): Jordan Moffet
- McKim Publications: Connor McKim
- Tribridge: Mustaffa Raja
- BodyFuel Fitness: Mia Zaffarano
- Stirling Robyns Publishing, LLC: Oscar Lilley
- Integrated Vehicle Solutions: Omar Raddaoui
- Irukleanji: Paul Bonifas
- Increase: Phillip Thomas
- FROOM: Yan Pang
- travlr feed: Roshan Kumar
- Pokes Pickup: Hunter Perala
- MicroFlight: Shane Cornell
- Apex Outdoors: Seth Holcomb
- Harms Way Boarding, LLC: Tanner Harms
- The Doggery: Taylor Murray
- Misfit Makeup Artistry: Tristen Morrison
- GoRound: Trystan Bennett
- Estudiamos: Christopher Walker
- Coast to Coast: Matthew Oolman
- Self Sustaining Gardens: Claire Ratcliffe
- AutoPrev: Mhamed Samat
- Bold & Cursive: Kshama Lakshmi Rangantha
- Elite Chick: Debalina Maitra
- PurpleCat: Anne Loyd
- Tall Tree Hardware: Steven Mcarthur
- U-Park: Abby Rose
- Tylor Bond: Tylor Bond
- Velocity Speed Ways: Shamila Kumara Ranjan
2018
Business Track Grand Prize Winner: IOTherm
Kennan Oyen, Joey Oyen
Social Enterprise Track Grand Prize Winner: GROWyoming
Claire Ratcliffe, Bryan Jewell
John P. Ellbogen Entrepreneurial Distinction Award in Social Enterprise: Sunao
Jerica Hunter
John P. Ellbogen Entrepreneurial Distinction Award in Business: Medical Device Advisors
Grace Tena De Lara
Bill Daniels Business Ethics Winner: Growyoming
2019
First Place: Scitech Energy
Morteza Akbarabadi and Vahideh Mirchi
Second Place: Autosense
Braxton Cooper and Kyler Lunberg
Third Place: Torch Creamery
Tesa Halter and Tea Hill
Bill Daniels Business Ethics Winner: Torch Creamery
Other Competitors:
- Ivie Welding Fabrications: Aaron Ivie
- Food Finder: Auston Larson and Trevor Trouchon
- Menuly/Auduinoworkshop: Ahmed Balogun, Heather Baker And Aishat Balogun
- Cowboy Geophysical: Anthony Moraes
- Pools Magnic: Adam Raddaoui
- Financial Services: Amanda Smith
- The Black Butterfly Record Company: Abbigail Williams
- Localist: Bryce Lidtka
- Campus Pleebr: Pyi Maung, Coldon Kramer, Chase Wilson, Chunjin Guo, Kaitlyn Hill
- Autosense: Dalton Hass
- Not My Cookin’: Darci Laird
- Crystalpore: Bruce Mastorovich, Phuoc Hoang-Hanh Duong, and Valerie Kuehl
- Diversify: Emiliano Mendez Ii, Jose Garcia
- Real Asian Fashion: Eric Van Wig
- Company One: Garrett Bietz
- Work Before Play: Grant Mader
- Parkspace/Parking App: Jake Koney, Krishna Sai
- Buffalo Go: Kinkoye Duhart, Noah Meridith
- Real Asian Fashion: Raphael Homer
- Avba: Kathleen Shuster
- Revitalized Materials: Todd Muller
- Countree Cutie Boutique: Yahsmin Gorji
- 7220 Pet Services: Tara Cottrill
2020
First Place: Resono Pressure Systems
Johnathan Naughton and Pourya Nikoueeyan
Second Place: CellDrop
Benjamin Noren and John Oakey
Third Place: Landseer
Erica Belmont and Kurt Stahlfeld
Fourth Place: Nexus Reliability
Chas Ogden, Fritz Ogden, Steve Bagley
Bill Daniels Business Ethics Winner: Torch Creamery
Top Submission, Community College Team: EvolvED
Brett Ralston, Chris Larsen, and Samuel Riggs
Top Submission, Female Entrepreneur: Step-up Strategies
Ty Shockley and Ashley Hyche
Top Submission, Social Enterprise: Build Mothers Build the World
Abby Lozano, Kyrie Blaney, Carole Boughton, and Dilnoza Khasilova
Top Submission, Best Ability to Positively Impact Wyoming: Build Mothers, Build the World.
People’s Choice Award: CellDrop
Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Award: Build Mothers, Build the World.
Special Commitment by the John P. Ellbogen Foundation to Build Mothers, Build the World, as a nonprofit organization
2021
First Place: LifeGlass
Bettcher Ryan and Boothby Thomas
Second Place: WireDraw, LLC
Jared Henderson
Third Place: AI Understand U
Bowman Stephanie
Top Submission, Community College Team: Cooking With Community
Madera Amy, Nolan Amelia, Niedo Brittney, Jimenez-Vasquez Rodolfo, Jimenez-Solario Jair, Chambers Oliver, and Roche Stephanie
Top Submission, Female Entrepreneur: B3
Sanders Brayton, Meeks Perri
Top Submission, Social Enterprise: AI Understand U
Top Submission, Best Ability to Positively Impact Wyoming: Cooking With Community.
People’s Choice Award: B3
Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program Award: LifeGlass
Special commitment by John P. Ellbogen Foundation: Cooking With Community
Finalists:
- FabSampler: Dutta Debashis, Mahmud Sakur, Ramproshad Sarker, and Deb Rajesh
- Bedrock Outdoors: Dixon Emma and Davis Taylor
- Armour Glove: Jensen Matthew and Hartman Teegan
- Orman’s Sweets: Roberts Story
2022
First Place: UplinkRobotics LLC
Brady Wagstaff, Christian Bitzas, Oreoluwa Babatunde, and Zoe Worthen
Second Place: LIMS
Nicholas Case and Dr. Shannon Albeke
Third Place: GigaChar LLC
Alexandra Howell and Erica Belmont
Fourth Place: GS Solar
Grant Serbousek
Top Submission, Community College Team: IVIE Farms
Aaron Ivie
Top Submission, Female Entrepreneur: GigaChar
Top Submission, Social Enterprise: GigaChar
Top Submission, Best Ability to Positively Impact Wyoming: IVIE Farms
People’s Choice Award: Carving the Future
Talia Atkins
High School Choice Award: UplinkRobotics
Ethical Startup Award: Carving the Future
Talia Atkins
Special commitment by John P. Ellbogen Foundation: IVIE Farms
Other Competitors:
- Virtual Reality Athletics: Rhett Muchmore
2023
First Place: BAST Manufacturing
Clayton Auzqui, Carly Keller, and Jared Clapper
Second Place: Inspira Nutrition
Evan Eversole
Third Place: EdgeFlyte
Tate Schrock
Fourth Place: Purely Persistent
Michelle Schutten
Top Submission Award, Community College Team: Heart to Heart – WY
Rilei Farmer, Tatiana Farrington, and Thea Farrington
Top Submission Award, Female Entrepreneur: Purely Persistent
Top Submission Award, Social Enterprise: Wyoming Rail Yard
Dayton Hammel
Top Submission Award: Best Ability to Positively Impact Wyoming: BAST Manufacturing
The People’s Choice Award: Wyoming Rail Yard
Daniels Fund Ethics Initiative Collegiate Program Award: MC Cares
Aram Maljanian, Benjamin Wilkin, Clayton Auzqui, and Jared Clapper
Other Competitors:
- OneHealth: Carter Kirkbride, Cameron Schoening, and Noah Forbes
2024
First Place: FINA Custom Work
Ana Acevedo and Jesus Acevedo
Second Place: MayPall
Leo Gomelsky, Lucas Wall, and Mark Gomelsky
Third Place: Power Theory Inc.
Luke Macy, Isaac Almejo-Ponce, Erik Rivera, Katie Fisher, and SungHa Kim
Top Submission Award, Community College Team: Southern Soul Kitchen
Evelyn Rodriguez
Top Submission Award, Female Entrepreneur: UniquiClay Creative Studio
Susan Noah
Top Submission Award, Social Enterprise: Wyoming Rail Yard
Dayton Hammel
High School Choice Award: Power Theory Inc.
Jon Benson Award for Best Ability to Positively Impact Wyoming: MayPall
The People’s Choice Award: Wyoming Rail Yard
Ethical Startup Award: O3
Dalton Gregory
$50k EEC Winner Spotlight Presentation Award: MayPall and FINA Custom Work
2025
First Place: Cowboy Country Milling
Stuart Lerwick, J.D. Corson, Emily Jarrell
Second Place: Carbonado Technology LLC
Chooi Kim, Kam Weng Ng
Third Place: DeWitt Aerotech Inc.
Korbin DeWitt, Nolan Nachbar, Nile Young
Daniels Fund Ethical Startup Award: Prene Outdoors
John Beier
First Interstate Bank Audience Choice Award: Cowboy Country Milling
Stuart Lerwick, J.D. Corson, Emily Jarrell
Benson Innovation & Impact Award: RenU Fuel Solutions
Jacob Kirby, Anh Hoang Minh Nguyen
Small to Medium Enterprise Award: Skála
Zachary Pinc, Sarah Drewry
Micale Community Award: Prene Outdoors
John Beier