For seven years, the Glockner Family of Dealerships has had a competition for students across the Tri-State to come up with the next big business idea.

The goal is to teach students how to come up with product, a proposal pitch and a Power Point. A five-person panel of judges then quiz the students on the product to determine which idea is best and could actually become a viable business.

This year, two Lawrence County schools took two of the top three spots amongst 14 finalists.

A team from STEM+M Early College High School in South Point won first place for a night time child care service. Not only did they provide a service for parents who work at night or just want a night out without their kids, the students even created a scheduling app for easy access on a smart phone. And they had been running the business for a month before it was pitched to the Dare to Dream judge. For their efforts, the three-person team got $7,500 in prize money.

The Ironton High School team took third place with their product, an all-natural doggy deodorizer. They had the product ready for the judges to see and smell. They got $4,600 in prize money.

We congratulate both teams, not only for their winning ideas, but for putting their ideas to work.

Creating a business is hard, but the future of our local economy depends on those who have the vision and the drive to create their own business opportunities.