Two Oldenburg Academy Teams Advance to STARTedUP Regional Competition

The statewide business pitch competition empowers high school students to develop and present innovative business ideas. 

(Left to right): Caly Evers, Rachel Cigolotti, Eleanor Eaglin, and Bridge Lohmeuller. Photos provided.

(Oldenburg, Ind.) - Oldenburg Academy is celebrating two student teams that have advanced to the regional round of the STARTedUP Challenge, formerly Innovate WithIN. 

The statewide business pitch competition empowers high school students to develop and present innovative business ideas. 

With more than 2,000 students participating across Indiana, the STARTedUP Challenge is the largest student pitch competition in the country. Of those, only 74 teams advanced to the regional level—two of which are from Oldenburg Academy.

Caly Evers and Bridget Lohmueller advanced with their business idea, Patchables. Their product is a customizable sweatshirt that allows users to add and remove patches to change the design, offering a creative and cost-effective alternative to purchasing multiple sweatshirts. Patchables is designed with kids and teens in mind.

Eleanor Eaglin and Rachel Cigolotti advanced with their business idea, SwiftClean. SwiftClean is a countertop device designed for individuals with limited hand or arm mobility. The device allows users to clean their teeth without needing to use their hands, offering a more accessible approach to daily oral care.

"I love seeing our students take their learning outside the classroom and into real-world experiences like this. I am so very proud of these students for being willing to take chances, think critically, and identify and approach a problem in a creative way. Experiences like this challenge them in the best ways and help them grow in so many areas. It's exactly the kind of learning we want for our students at Oldenburg Academy,” commented Principal Angela Parmer.

The regional competition will take place on April 22 at IU Indy, where 12 teams from across East Central Indiana will compete for a spot in the state finals.