Westmeath Dragons Den Competition Results
Westmeath Secondary Students are full of Innovative Business ideas!
Over 90 secondary students from Westmeath entered ‘Dragons Den – What’s your big idea?’ competition run by Westmeath County Enterprise Board to encourage secondary school students to get their thinking hats on to come up with an innovative business idea.
Westmeath County Enterprise board were delighted with the response among secondary school students to this competition. Students sent many innovative ideas to Westmeath County Enterprise Board. Entries were judged in 3 categories, Junior - 1st year, Intermediate - 2nd year and Senior -TY to 6th year.
The hard task of picking the winners was decided by Tracey Tallon, Business Advisor with Westmeath County Enterprise Board, John Reilly, Director of Strikebox Innovations and Sadie Wheatley, Director of S.W. Design.
Dean Gannon, from Mercy Secondary School, Kilbeggan won the Senior Category Prize and a cash prize of €250 for his idea of a dual function guitar stand and stool. Deans’ clever, innovative idea is a guitar stand that could be turned on its’ side allowing you to sit on it while playing your guitar. Dean has made his product out of wood. Judges were really impressed with his design and how it was made.
A very close second were Edel Igoe, Ailish Brooks and Lauren Revins from St. Josephs, Summerhill (pictured below) with their innovative ‘fruit wipes’, a product that allows you to clean your fruit before you eat it while, ideal for busy people on the go and an excellent item to have in the car or the kitchen.
James Farrell, from St Aloysius, Athlone came third with a wonderful solution to prevent the ever annoying problem of headphone tangles!
Shauna Langley and Emma Kiernan from Loreto College, Mullingar won the Intermediate category, claiming a cash prize of €200 with their business ‘Get The Cert’ a board game that helps students to learn various topics.
Intermediate runner ups were Andrew Nolan from Columba College Killucan who designed an innovative White Board Ruler, and Elliot Kubath with L Cube from Mullingar Community College.
Emma Broughan from St. Finians, Mullingar won the Junior category and received a cash prize of €200 with her idea of ‘Munchy Net’. ‘Munchy Net’ is a innovative and environmentally sound solution product for use with silage round bales.
Junior 2nd place was awarded to Grace O Donnell with Cash Counter.
The product with the most commercial potential was awarded to Mary Finch and Fiona Glynn from Loreto College Mullingar with their idea for a Homework website.
A cash prize of €75 was given to all second and third prize winners. Many more students received highly recommended certificates for their innovative business ideas.
For a full listing of all winners in the Dragons Den Competition, click here.
Westmeath created this competition to encourage secondary students to be innovative, and become more aware of business. Westmeath County Enterprise Board also deliver a Student Enterprise Award programme in Secondary Schools in County Westmeath. This programme shows students how to create a business idea and set up a mini business. All Dragons Den entrants will be helped to develop their idea and hopefully participate in the Student Enterprise Awards programme in early 2010. The highlight of the Student Enterprise Awards is a County Final held yearly in Athlone in March, where students display their businesses to the public. The winners then go forward to represent County Westmeath in the National Finals, where the overall winner can scoop a prize of a €10,000 trip to Europe !