83 Teams: How One High School Grew a Startup Competition

Eighty-three student teams walked into Westfield High School this spring with business ideas and the courage to pitch them like seasoned entrepreneurs.

Six years ago, only three teams showed up to the first competition. This year's Innovation Competition has become one of the biggest events on the school calendar, drawing students who transformed everything from fitness supplements to cleaning services into actual businesses.

The competition ran in rounds, starting with initial pitches and building to a final showdown on May 12. Students presented to real business leaders and community partners, practicing the kind of high-stakes communication most people don't encounter until their first job interview.

Liv Bates and Samantha Foster took home the top prize of $8,800 for VitaFlex+, their innovative product that captured judges' attention through multiple rounds. John Bunch and Nick McKeown earned $1,300 for Templ, while Adrian Feltrinelli secured $1,200 for CleanOut & CashIn as a solo founder.

The April 23 luncheon, hosted by the Westfield Chamber of Commerce, gave students a taste of real business networking. Winners received funding to actually invest back into their innovations, not just trophies to put on a shelf.

Business teacher John Moore, who has watched the program grow from its humble three-team beginning, says the real victory goes beyond the prize money. Every student who pitched stepped outside their comfort zone and shared an idea with strangers, building confidence that will serve them long after graduation.

Mayor Scott Willis joined the final event to remind students they are already shaping Westfield's future. A seventh-grader named Will Sevick also presented, showing younger students what's possible when they start thinking like innovators early.

The Ripple Effect

Local businesses didn't just watch from the sidelines. Eleven sponsors, including Indiana Members Credit Union, Elements Financial, and Butler University's Lacy School of Business, funded the competition and provided judges who gave students real feedback.

This partnership model shows what happens when schools open their doors to community involvement. Students gain mentors, businesses discover future talent, and the whole town invests in homegrown innovation.

The competition teaches skills no textbook can deliver: handling rejection, thinking on your feet, and turning criticism into a better product. These 83 teams learned that failure is just another round to improve.

Westfield's six-year journey from three teams to 83 proves that when you give students a real challenge and real stakes, they rise to meet it.