2026 Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge
The 7th Annual KCK YEC challenge is an event where high school students from Wyandotte County will have the opportunity to compete in four business related categories for the chance to win $50 - $1,500. Students can submit a business, conceptual or existing, and compete in the following categories: Tradeshow, Elevator Pitch, Executive Summary and Formal Presentation.
This year's competition is split between Thursday, March 5th and Friday, March 6th, both happening at Kansas City Kansas Community College, 7250 State Ave, Kansas City, KS 66112 in the Jewell Building.
Thursday, March 5th 4:30 PM - 8:30 PM
Events Competiting: Elevator Pitch & Trade Show
Friday, March 6th 8:00 AM - 1:30 PM
Events Competing: Executive Summary & Formal Presentation
Interested in Participating?
Scroll down for more information on how to get involved!
Ways to get Involved
Want to compete next year?
Registration for 2027 has not opened yet. Please complete the Interest form, so that we may contact you when it opens.
The KCK YEC is currently open to Wyandotte County High Schools and homeschooled children that live in Wyandotte County.
Students that meet the following qualifications in order to compete:
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Currently attend a Wyandotte County High School
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Are either a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior
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Must have a Teacher serve as a Mentor
Home Schooled Children
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Currently live in Wyandotte County
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Are either a Freshman, Sophomore, Junior or Senior
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Teacher or Parent may serve as a Mentor
Guidelines & information for Businesses:
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Businesses cannot be a school based business or family-owned business
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Businesses can be exisiting or conceptual
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Students can only be a part of one business
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Businesses who want to compete for a chance to win the $1,000 - $1,500 cash prize, must compete in all four events.
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Businesses who do not want to compete for a chance win the $1,000 - $1,500 cash prize, can compete in a maximum of three events
Events
Elevator Pitch
The Elevator Pitch Category is a 30 second to 2 minute pitch about the competitor’s idea for a product or business. The Elevator Pitch should excite the judges about the business by answering seven questions & finishing with an action item
Trade Show
The tradeshow is a 90-minute event where you will have the opportunity to pitch your business or product to a panel of judges. The judges will visit each student or team to evaluate your business idea, display, and your ability to discuss your business idea and answer questions.
Executive Summary
The Executive Summary is a written business summary, in PDF format, including details of how the business intends to operate. An executive summary is similar to a business plan, but usually shorter, covering much of the same information in summarization.
Formal Presentation
The Formal Presentation is a four-to-six-minute presentation where each business will share details of its product or service with a panel of judges, usually in the form of visual slides.
Becoming a Judge
Passionate about entrepreneurship? Want to support youth entrepreneurs in KCK? Considering becoming a Judge KCK Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Event!
Whether you're an entrepreneur, banker, lender, work at an entrepreneurial support organization, or work within the entrepreneurial ecosystem, we'd love to have you! We're looking for judges to review our competitors in Elevator Pitch, Trade Show, Executive Summary and or Formal Presentation. A like to each event's description & rubric can be found below.
Volunteering
Volunteering is an excellent way to see the competitors in action, and also help ensure a successful competition!
Whether it is help with set up, take down, Room Monitoring, Ballots and Scoring, or other assitance we might need, any help is appreciated!
All Volunteers will recieve a description & training for the role.
Friday's volunteers will also recieve free breakfast and lunch.
