RANDOLPH, Vt. — May 2026— The Vermont Small Business Development Center (VtSBDC) is proud to announce the first-place winners of its 2026 Student Innovation Challenges, a series of statewide competitions that empowered high school students to showcase their creativity and entrepreneurial thinking — all while staying grounded in this year’s unifying theme: “Dream it, Build it.”
Designed to encourage students to think about how business ideas are turned into reality, the competitions included four unique challenges: the Darn Tough Challenge, the Bumper Sticker Design Challenge, and the Video Pitch Challenge, and the Business Model Canvas Competition. Students from across Vermont were invited to participate, submitting projects that demonstrated originality, purpose, and a clear connection to the theme. Winners were selected in each category based on creativity, relevance to the theme, and clarity of their concept. Entries were submitted from high schools across the state, representing a wide range of perspectives and regional insights.
“This year’s theme, “Dream It, Build It,” challenged participants to think like entrepreneurs—transforming ideas into viable business concepts said Tamie-Jo Dickinson,VtSBDC Statewide Start-up Advisor. “The submissions we received showcase an inspiring combination of creativity, initiative, and real-world problem-solving. It’s exciting to see students not only imagining possibilities, but actively building solutions that have the potential to shape the future of small business and innovation in Vermont.”
Challenge Overviews and Winning Focus Areas:
- Darn Tough Challenge: Inspired by Darn Tough, students developed sock designs that embodied values like resilience, craftsmanship, and a growth mindset—embracing creativity, iteration, and continuous improvement as they brought their ideas to life.
This was the second year collaborating with a local business, and it was a great success. Darn Tough judged the entries and donated socks to the winners.
This year there was a three-way tie! Here are the winners: Pippa Diller, Harwood Union High School, Wren Barrett, Harwood Union High School, and Alisha Gurung, Winooski High School.
- Bumper Sticker Design Challenge: Students created bold, eye-catching designs that celebrated entrepreneurship while bringing the Dream It, Build It theme to life—combining creativity, initiative, and real-world problem-solving to convey messages centered around local pride, small business support, and turning ideas into action. First Place Winner is Alasdair Jenks, Windham Career and Technical Center.
- Video Pitch Challenge: Students submitted dynamic video entries that showcased entrepreneurial spirit within their schools—either by highlighting student-led initiatives or featuring the impact of local businesses in their communities. First Place Winners are Ava Naylor and Keagan Fitzgerald from Milton High School.
- Business Model Canvas Competition: Students work individually or in teams to develop a new business using the Business Model Canvas framework. The canvas should illustrate how the business embodies the theme “Dream It. Build It!” — showing a clear path from vision to action, and how the idea could create value, opportunity, and community impact in Vermont. First Place Winner is Graciela Sanchez from CVU High School.
The Business Model Canvas Competition was also connected to a year-long professional learning experience for Vermont educators. From November through May, four teachers and one school administrator from across the state participated in Entrepreneurial Pathways: Connecting Learning to Life and Work, a program facilitated by VtSBDC.
The cohort met for in-person sessions in November and May, with monthly virtual meetings throughout the school year. Participants explored how entrepreneurship can be integrated across subject areas using the Business Model Canvas as a framework for helping students identify problems, develop solutions, understand customers, create value, and bring ideas to life.
Throughout the program, educators received classroom-ready lesson plans and practical strategies aligned to each element of the Business Model Canvas. The experience emphasized making learning more relevant by connecting academic content to real-world challenges, innovation, and career opportunities.
“The goal is not to teach every student to start a business,” said Dickinson. “It’s about helping students develop the mindset and skills to identify opportunities, solve problems, think creatively, and turn ideas into action. The Business Model Canvas provides a practical framework that educators can use in virtually any classroom.”
Participants concluded the program by developing individualized action plans for expanding entrepreneurship integration within their schools during the coming academic year, helping ensure that more Vermont students have opportunities to engage in authentic, project-based learning experiences that connect education to life and work.
These challenges and educator professional development opportunities are part of VtSBDC’s broader mission to support entrepreneurial education and youth engagement across Vermont. By equipping both students and educators with tools for innovation, problem-solving, and opportunity recognition, VtSBDC is helping to create learning environments where students can dream big, build meaningful solutions, and contribute to the future of their communities.
