Everyone Wins
From "Future CEO Stars" Magazine - October 2007
by Kaleene Grunefelder

On July 25th, 2007 during our State Fair in Minot, North Dakota I had the distinct honor of interviewing the Region 2 Minot Marketplace for Kids Entrepreneurship Project winners. During these interviews I expected to learn a lot about the student's products. I was pleasantly surprised to learn a lot about the students in the process. The following are samples of what was shared that day.

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Taylor P. - Cookie Clam
Taylor P. of Bowbells, ND made the Cookie Clam. She said the most unique thing about her project was that it's small and easy to use. Taylor also loves that it deals with cookies, who wouldn't? Her plan for the future is to sell it in stores and hopes to some day see it on T.V.

Devin S. of Minot, ND made See Salt. She started thinking about her project when her dad put too much salt on his food. "It was disgusting! Then he started to have problems with his cholesterol." She said it took her about a month to make it because she had to find a way to make colored salt without getting someone sick.

Shania M. of Minot, ND made the Laundry Lifter. Her project is unique and socially conscious because it is designed to help people who are injured or impaired. One of her motivations is that it will actually help her own grandma. Due to her physical condition, she can't bend over. Using the Laundry Lifter, she won't have to! She has no plans to sell it in the future although she is sure it would sell easily.

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Devin S. - See Salt

Ashley W. of Minot, ND made the Ez-Slide. She thinks it's unique because it's the only invention she knows of that deals with making a mailbox more accessible. She says it is very user friendly and plans in the future to sell a lot of them.

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Shania M. - Laundry Lifter
Jonas and Kailan H. of Minot, ND made the Solar Mower. This very environmentally friendly product cuts the grass using purely solar energy. Their future plans include selling the actual product on their own but will keep the rights to the idea.

Tessa W. of Makoti, ND made the Dog Mat. This unique product makes wiping your dog's feet as it comes into the obsolete. One problem she notes is teaching dogs to remember to use it.

Tiona D. of Minot, ND made the Back Seat Sun Visor. Her project is unique because you can use it anywhere and there aren't a lot of them available currently. She loves that you can put it anywhere in your car and would like to sell it in the future.

Brittany K. of Minot, ND made the Choco-Bites. Although her product contains an already famous candy that could cause her difficulty in actually selling it, she can always eat her inventory.

This experience at the fair was great for everyone involved. Marketplace for Kids does a lot to encourage these young inventors. In fact, they weren't the only ones who were encouraged; I left with a few potential ideas myself!

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Some of the day's winners!