Future CEO Stars Magazine - October 2008
by Kaleene Grunefelder

On July 25, 2008, while at the North Dakota State Fair in Minot, ND, I interviewed some very imaginative kids who were displaying projects under the Co-op Tent sponsored by the North Dakota Coordinating Council for Cooperatives. Each individual was selected by volunteers from the Service Corp of Retired Executives (SCORE) at the Region 2 Marketplace for Kids Education program held on April 8, 2008, in Minot. They explained the projects and inventions they had on display and told me just what their plans are for them. Here are some of the things the Minot students shared with me.

Riann S. and Casey E. made the Navigating Saddle, a horse saddle equipped with tools to make sure you never lose your way! They both said that a lot of people get lost trail riding and that a saddle that includes a compass, a clock, and a thermometer would be very beneficial to have. Their plans for the future would be to sell it in stores and advertise it on T.V.

Shayle E. made the Frame 2, a holder for eyeglasses as well as pictures or photos. She came up with the idea when she lost her glasses on night and was almost late for school the next day. She figured out a way to put the idea together and now it hangs on her wall every night. She also said her plans include selling it in stores.

Joby W. made the Window Wizard-Built in Window Cleaner that will automatically wash windows with the touch of a button. He thinks his project is very unique because it's a window with window cleaner built into it. He made it so people wouldn't have to be on tall ladders and scaffolding to wash windows, and also because he doesn't like looking through dirty windows. His plans for the future would be to sell it in stores and advertise it on T.V.

Alyssa K. made the Cat Toy Mobile that will entertain cats for hours! She said it's unique because with the switch of a button, cats can play by themselves. People won't loose the cat toys because they will hook onto the mobile. She loves animals and said this was a very great idea for them. Her plans are to keep the invention and use it.

Travis W. made the Mother of all Mailboxes. He said the unique thing about this project was that it was easy to find and it makes good storage for garden hand tools. He said now his mom won't lose her garden tools because this mailbox will be mounted in her garden. He also plans to keep his invention.

Julie D. made the Count-N-Hoops with Timer. She attached a counter to a basketball backboard. Every time you make a basket, you get one point. You can also set a timer and see how many hoops you can make during a certain amount of time. She said that the unique thing about her project is that it dealt with basketball and that now she doesn't have to keep track of her brother's score. She plans to sell it in stores.

Ashley F. made the Paw Activated Dog Food Machine which will scan your dog's paw and dispense food. She said the most unique thing about her project is that now dogs can feed themselves if people forget to feed them. She plans to keep the invention.

Jessica C. made the Pocket Mitts that can carry small things right on your hands. She said the most unique things about her project is that it is something that can be worn while she is skating, it's easy to find them, and the pocket is removable so it can be used on days when she doesn't skate. She plans to keep the original one, patent it, and mass produce more like the original.

Shelby B. of Makoti, ND, made the Cow-Zee Cart Cattle Feeder, a triangular cart to transport feed to her dad's cattle. She said helps her dad out a lot and now she doesn't have to carry pails of feed to the cattle. She plans to make use of the invention herself.

This experience was really interesting to me because these kids actually developed their ideas for the Marketplace for Kids Education Day program and put them out there for display. To see the projects on T.V. in the future would be really amazing! I would encourage young kids or adults to really sit down and think of an idea that will help others and invent it. Marketplace for Kids and Marketplace for Entrepreneurs and their organizing sponsors, U.S. Senator Kent Conrad and ND Agriculture Commissioner Roger Johnson, do a lot to encourage not only these young inventors, but anyone who has a potential idea for entrepreneurship or an invention. This is just a sample of what the imagination of a young kid plus the help of a parent can provide towards the beginning of a business or career.