High School Students Invited to Participate in D.I.C.E. Challenge

The regional business planning competition challenges students to create a business product or service.

Photo provided.

(Ripley County, Ind.) - Genesis: Pathways to Success, in partnership with the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, is excited for a second year of the D.I.C.E. (Dreams, Ingenuity, Creativity, & Entrepreneurship) Challenge. The D.I.C.E. Challenge’s goal is to inspire young people to learn about entrepreneurship and to see small business creation and ownership as a viable career goal. 

This is a regional business planning competition in which high school students in Southeastern Indiana create a business product or service, develop a business plan, and pitch their idea to a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs. Their business idea and plan are evaluated and ranked, with the top 3 teams receiving an investment into their futures. Last year's students had impressive dreams such as a food truck business, baseball glove repair business, flower business, and a wedding planning business!  

Not only does the D.I.C.E. Challenge increase the innovative spirit through Southeastern Indiana, but this competition serves as a stepping stone and provides students with valuable feedback to give them an advantage in the state-wide competition, Innovate WithIN, where students have the opportunity to collaborate with world-class innovators and receive even larger seed funding for their businesses. 

Clarice Patterson, Director of Genesis: Pathways to Success, stated, “The goal of the D.I.C.E. Challenge is to not only inspire young people to learn about entrepreneurship and see small business creation and ownership as a viable career goal but also to understand the vital role an entrepreneur plays within a community - increasing economic growth, providing access to unique goods and services, and even promoting social change.”  Patterson further stated, “Genesis: Pathways to Success and the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce want students to understand from this competition that Southeastern Indiana is a place they can continue to reside in (and/or return to) for their entrepreneurial needs and see an opportunity for growth and development.” 

Any student attending a school in Southeastern Indiana is eligible to participate in the D.I.C.E. Challenge.  The deadline for a team to register for this competition (maximum of three students per team) is Friday, September 13, 2024.  The fee is $500 per school for two teams; schools can register more than two teams, but each registration of two teams is $500. The business planning competition will be held on December 6, 2024, at Ivy Tech Community College - Lawrenceburg Riverfront Campus. 

If you are a student with dreams of owning your own small business, this challenge is the perfect start! If you are interested in participating in the D.I.C.E. Challenge, visit https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdNdTSURLBI048LA1YfOJO_8Sj-2opjVX_N9Zwv7NPe2envGA/viewform to register. For any questions or concerns, contact Clarice Patterson, Director of Genesis: Pathways to Success, by emailing cpatterson@genesisp2s.org, calling 812-933-1098, or visiting 13 E. George Street, Suite B, Batesville, IN 47006.