THATCHER — Nogales holds YEET bragging rights for the next year.
Nogales High School senior Rebecca Medina took home $1,000 for her winning business pitch at the EAC Small Business Development Center’s inaugural Young Entrepreneur Excellence Training event Thursday.
Medina pitched Litter Lux, a low-cost, automatic-cleaning litter box that is copper lined instead of plastic to eliminate odor.
“It’s really exciting; I’m really happy and thankful,” Medina said. “It was a great opportunity and I did not expect to win.”
Medina said she has numerous plans for the money, including investing in her existing business of baking and selling pastries at Nogales High School.
Second place and $500 was awarded to Lindsay Goodman, who pitched Inner Balance, a youth therapy and recreation center.
Judges could not decide between two pitches for third place, so both were awarded $200. Roselyn Dorrell received the prize for her pitch of PDR, a post-disaster robot that can help first responders (she also brought a working prototype to the event); and Justin Hanchett and Mason Mleynek, who teamed for Manly Metals, a company to produce metallic signs and home décor.
SBDC Business Analyst Torey Cranford, who conducted the four-day training, said she was impressed by the effort from each participant.
“The ideas that they came up with were all on their own, their pitches,” Cranford said. “I just gave them guidance on pitch structure, business structure (and) things to think about if they were to go into business.”
– David Bell Photo/Gila Valley Central
Fourteen students took part in the business training program, with each receiving a certificate of completion and a $50 Amazon gift card. They included:
- Mataya Mleynek — Creative Waves; custom gifts, signs, décor and jewelry
- Ashlee Horgan — Eco Art Greenfilter; filtration system for water used by artists to clean brushes
- Nevaeh Kirker — Estrella’s Bakery
- Tadleigh Finch — Equine Toothcare
- Eliana Raley — Kustom Kickz; customizing shoes
- LeAnn Jorgensen — Charly’s Charm Studios; low-cost jewelry and charms
- Evangeline Raley — Tiger Eye Skate Boardz; custom skateboards
- Sadie Wenham — Merci Audrey; online clothing boutique
- Kyle Zaugg — Gila Monster Mini Golf; family play center
Judges for the final video pitches included Rachel Peck, owner of Soda Rush; Alexa Rhodes, owner of Space Snacks Freeze-Dried Candy; Taylor Banks, owner of Gila Cheer; and Robert Theobald, with the Arizona Commerce Authority.
Funding for YEET was provided by United Way of Graham and Greenlee Counties.
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