EHS Student Qualifies for Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge
Dacia Mast will move on to state high school competition

Dacia Mast
Initially just a competition for K-State students, a small local contest between students at Emporia State University and K-State led to growing the competition to include ESU and Fort Hays State University. Soon, the challenge to think creatively about business spread to all Board of Regents universities and some high schools, said Chad Jackson, K-State Center director.
“We partnered with an economic development agency called Network Kansas, and we grew it statewide,” Jackson said. “We had 29 finalists. Each of the high school teams had competed in a regional competition, and then the best regional winners came to K-State for a competition.”
The winners divided $11,000, depending on their final slot, to support their business pitch.
Then last year, the Kansas Entrepreneurship Challenge partnered with the Kansas Masonic Foundation and Kansas Masons across the state to “really grow the program,” Jackson said.
“This year the program is open to every high school in the state of Kansas,” he said. “Each high school team will partner with a local Masonic lodge to get mentoring and advice and support, and ultimately each Masonic lodge will be able to send one team on to K-State for the finals.”
Emporia businessmen Rich Avery and Steve Sauder.are among the judges for the state-level competition.
For more information, visit ksechallenge.com.