While Ashton Verbish's Safety Glow continues to win awards, another team landed a first in STARTedUP history during the Region 4 Innovate WithIN pitch competition April 14.
Septo, created by a team from Munster High School, earned a wildcard spot in the state finals. Usually, wildcard winners aren't announced until all six regional events are complete, but Septo's pitch was so strong that judges decided to give them a finalist slot.
Alexis Karahalios, Abigil Mena and Jocelyn Aguirre presented the innovation, “a plant-based smart bandage that changes color to detect early signs of infection, which offers a low-cost, non-invasive alternative to lab testing and traditional wound care.”
Region's 1, 3, 5 and 6 are still scheduled to compete. Four wildcard teams will be chosen to compete in finals.
Septo and Safety Glow both were one of five winners in the first 2025 Northwest Indiana High School Pitch Competition.
Verbish, from Hanover Central High School in Cedar Lake, has been pitching his “retractable LED device that attaches to the back of semi-trailers in an X-pattern to alert drivers when a truck is disabled on the roadside” to whomever will listen. He was included in the Indiana Economic Development Corp.'s 2024 “Entrepreneurship Indiana” yearbook.
This will be Verbish's second trip to the state finals. Last year, Safety Glow, won second place overall.
The Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest hosted the Region 4 Pitch Competition.
“We’re incredibly proud to host the Innovate WithIN Region 4 Pitch Competition at Purdue Northwest,” said Jason Williams, CEO of the Society of Innovators at Purdue Northwest, in a press release. “These students are tackling real-world challenges with fresh ideas and entrepreneurial energy. By giving them a platform to share their work, we’re not only helping them take meaningful steps forward in their innovation journeys, we’re also advancing Purdue Northwest’s mission to transform lives through education, foster innovation and drive positive impact across our Region.”
Sixty teams are competing at six regional pitch competitions, with 10 teams competing in each region. Regional winners earn a chance to compete for $25,000 in seed funding, among other opportunities, at the state finals in June at Butler University.
Other Region 4 competitors included:
- Cayden's Can Shines – Samantha Edwards, Ian Kennedy and Cayden DeSmet, Valparaiso High School
- MTK Car Detailing – Kyle Otworowski and Mihailo Marjanovic, Hanover Central High School
- Equi – Abigail Bisig, Hobart High School
- Flip-E – Brandon Walker and Omar Aftab, Munster High School
- Night Shine – Allison Miedema and Myles Deal, Lowell Senior High School
- Polyator – Westin Waters, Hanover Central High School
- Sprout – Asha Patel and Jude Jimenez, Munster High School
- True Tints – Riley Pettit & Ryan Mikolanis, Lake Central High School
“Purdue Northwest and the Society of Innovators have supported our mission to empower students to turn ideas into reality from the beginning,” said Don Wettrick, co-founder and CEO of the STARTedUP Foundation. “Region 4 consistently sets a high standard with, historically, the highest number of student applications each year and a robust support network of mentors and community leaders. Their commitment to fostering innovation and entrepreneurship locally is truly commendable.”
Regional winners earned $1,000 per student, up to three team members. Teams are allowed to complete multiple times during their high school careers.
