2020-2021 IDEA Competition Winners Announced

The IDEA Competition is a program in Northern Minnesota that allows entrepreneurs to take an idea and turn it into the beginnings of a business. While this year’s winners have been announced and money has been awarded, the experience is enriching for all those who submit their ideas and go through the process.

This year, the winner was a Bemidji woman who had was inspired by her job as an occupational therapist where she often completed shower evaluations with her clients. Kelly Van Ert came up with the idea of a magnetic sheet in the shower to attach necessary items to make them more accessible, calling it the Secure & Safe Shower Zone.

After winning, Van Ert has decided to continue on the journey of making this idea into a reality, but there is still a lot of hard work ahead.

Runner-ups in this year’s competition include Andy Olson of Ample Engineering and Design, Ron Turney of Indigenous Origins, Bobbie Davis of Lost Lamb Loomery, and John Repko of Rvizion.