|
Media Contact: Tiana Yates
tiana@montanachamber.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 21, 2026
Montana’s Top Teen Entrepreneurs Crowned at 2026 Prospects
Grand Champion Pitch Competition
Montana Chamber Foundation Awards $18,000 in Cash and Scholarships to Montana Students
Bozeman, MT – The Montana Chamber Foundation proudly announced the 2026 Grand Champion and Top Awards of The Prospects, Montana’s premier youth entrepreneurship competition, following a live pitch competition held May 18 at Montana State University’s Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship.
The culminating event brought together the top five finalists from both the New Business and Existing Business divisions for the opportunity to compete for the coveted Grand Champion title and $18,000 in cash prizes.
EXISTING BUSINESS:
Grand Champion – $5,000 Prize
YAU Studios
Declan Reed, Hellgate High School, Missoula
YAU Studios is a custom clothing business featuring original designs created by Declan himself. He impressed judges with both his creativity and strong business structure, proving that hustle and execution are a winning combination.
2nd Place - $2,500 Prize
A.M. Pork
Adelaide Meyer, Stevensville High School
Adelaide’s business focuses on raising pigs and producing pork products while also employing fellow classmates. She is in the 36% of women who are in the meat processing industry. After sharing samples of her bacon with the judges, she quickly gained a few new customers. As a junior in high school, her future in the industry looks incredibly bright.
3rd Place - $1,000 Prize
Cooney Precision Genetics
Ella & Reese Cooney, Harlowton High School
Sisters Ella and Reese Cooney presented their innovative business focused on advancing their fifth-generation family ranch through AI genetics. Their work helps predetermine calf traits such as sex and genetics to improve cattle value and strengthen their operation for the future.
4th Place - $500
Sunny Sips
Alyssa Hanninen, Sentinel High School, Missoula
The judges were delighted by Alyssa’s custom made dirty sodas. She brought some delicious samples as well as great pictures of her trailer that she will be selling out of. Make sure to look her up if you’re in Missoula!
4th Place - $500
ShortCut Customs
Tristen Short, C.M. Russell High School, Great Falls
Tristen’s business focuses on designing innovative tools and custom equipment for agriculture and industry using 3D printing technology. His attention to detail and strong work ethic impressed the judges, and his business is already keeping him busy
NEW BUSINESS:
Grand Champion – $5,000 Prize
Enduro Surf
Lachlan Lurgio, Hellgate High School, Missoula
Inspired by river surfing and an injury his father sustained while participating in the sport, Lachlan developed a rash guard designed to function as an orthopedic support tool for surfers. He also collaborated with a local physical therapist to create a working prototype.
2nd Place – $2,500 Prize
Luminex Aquatics
Hart Miller, Billings Career Center
Hart, a passionate swimmer, developed a solution to combat “soft touch” in competitive swimming — when a swimmer fails to hit the timing pad firmly enough, resulting in an inaccurate race time. Judges believed his idea has the potential to make a significant impact on the sport.
3rd Place – $1,000 Prize
Ag Together App
Kaiya Cardwell, Billings Career Center
Kaiya created the Ag Together App to connect and educate the agriculture community. Designed as a social and educational platform for agriculture, the app helps users easily access industry information while creating opportunities for networking and collaboration.
4th Place – $500 Prize
Kitchell Creation
Makaio Kitchell, Frenchtown High School
Kitchell Creation focuses on the manufacturing and distribution of off-road vehicle components. Makaio brought a working prototype for judges to test firsthand, demonstrating both the durability and potential of his product.
4th Place – $500 Prize
Care Lift
Brock Gardipee, Helena High School
After his mother was diagnosed with cancer, Brock recognized that many patients lack access to support systems such as transportation and care packages. Inspired to help others facing similar challenges, he created Care Lift, a service designed to provide transportation assistance and care packages to cancer patients in need.
“These students embody everything The Prospects stands for: grit, vision, and the courage to bring ideas to life,” said Todd O’Hair, Executive Director of the Montana Chamber Foundation. “Their presentations were outstanding, and their potential as future Montana business leaders is limitless.”
Celebrating the Future of Montana’s Economy
The final pitch event featured remarks from Brian Gillespie, Dean of the Jake Jabs College of Business & Entrepreneurship, who announced a $1,000 scholarship for any participating student who chooses to attend Montana State University, as well as Trevor Huffmaster of the Blackstone LaunchPad. Additional remarks were shared by Brock Tessman, President of Montana State University, and Paul Hopfauf, Chair of the Montana Chamber Foundation Board. The event was organized and emceed by James Easton and Tiana Yates, Workforce Strategists with the Montana Chamber Foundation. A panel of judges from across Montana’s business community provided live feedback and selected the winners.
“This next generation of entrepreneurs isn’t waiting for opportunity—they’re creating it,” said Paul Hopfauf, Chair of the Montana Chamber Foundation. “Each of these students should be incredibly proud of what they’ve accomplished.”
Now in its sixth year, The Prospects received over 200 submissions from middle and high school students across Montana, awarding $40,000 in prizes and scholarships. This year’s program would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors:
#
| 
