Giant Vision Competition
The South Dakota Governor's Office of Economic Development hosts the Giant Vision Business Plan Competition each year to encourage both business and student entrepreneurs to build their dreams in South Dakota. Contact Joseph Wright (joseph.wright@sdsmt.edu) for more information about the process.
For additional information, please visit Giant Vision Business Plan Competition.
Giant Vision Business Plan Competition Winners
Student Division:
2022 First Place:
Whytneigh Duffie, Disappex, LLC, Resin for 3D printers that will dissolve in
water; initial application is molds for manufacturing products.
2022 Fourth Place:
Philip Litecky, Li-Tech Lures, LLC, patented fishing lure that allows user to
control action of the tail.
2021 Third Place:
Nghia Thai and Nhu Y Mai, Chi-X - biomaterials that address surgical and
post-surgical bleeding.
2021 Fourth Place:
Morgan Vagts and Debbie Liknes, Lafdr, - A “no photo” dating app matching users
based on common interests.
2020 First Place:
Anahita Haghizadeh, NanoHsink - Produces and sells heat sink solutions for LED manufacturers.
2020 Fourth Place:
Maryam Amouamouha, Aqua Smart Solutions - A green,
stand-alone, and advanced system for residential and
commercial wastewater treatment.
2019 First Place: Mark Rotert and John Chandler, Tornado
Aerodynamic Solutions, LLC – Improves fuel efficiency.
2019 Second Place: William Trevillyan, HomeMetrics – Home
Monitoring Sensor System
2019 Third Place: Justin Schroeder, Antier Skateboards –
Customized, recycled skateboards
2019 Fourth Place: Anahita Haghizadeh, SunUp – Efficient
solar panels
2018 First Place: Bill Trevillyan, Plateau Energy Films – Transparent window films to save energy.
2018 Second Place: Abi Fuller, Argent Bottles – Water bottles designed to accomplish military grade decontamination.
2017 Tie for First Place: Henry Wegahaupt, Provender
Technologies – Automated feeding solutions for cattle operations.
2017 Third Place: Scyller Borglum and J. Zack Malone, South
Dakota Refining Company – Oil Refining in South Dakota.
2016 First Place: Aaron Worlie and Erica Howie, Botanical
Extraction Technologies (BET) – Design and manufacturing of Supercritical Fluid
Extraction systems and high purity botanical products.
2016 Third Place: Scyller J. Borglum, Borglum Natural Gas
Storage Solutions – A natural gas storage process.
2016 Fourth Place: Jace Doan, RackStar – Protective
transportation products for cycling industry.
2015 First Place: Conrad Farnsworth and Siouxzanna Downs,
Farnsworth Downs Technology – Small scale power generators.
2014 Fourth Place: Greg Christensen, Nanotechnology R&D
Company of the Black Hills
Open Division:
2022 First Place:
Maryam Amouamouha, AMBER, LLC, Anaerobic Membrane Bioreactor with Electrolytic
Regeneration offering an on-site wastewater reuse system.
2022 Henry Wegehaupt, Provender
Technologies, LLC, modernizing cattle feeding with
automated feeding system –automated, remotely accessible, and data driven.
2021 Kristie
Gildemeister and Kelsey Fitzgerald, Hydrolyst, LLC - A process to reduce the
production cost and life span of electrocatalysts used in hydrogen fuel cells.
2020 First Place:
Craig Bailey, Haiping Hong, and Greg Christiansen, Novum Nano, LLC - An advanced
materials and process technology and manufacturing start-up company
specializing in boron nitride and carbon fiber nanotube innovative research
with applications in a broad range of industry markets.
2019 Fourth Place: Joey Brown, Ammonyte – Water management
system
2019 Fifth Place: Marit Johnson, Life Excel – Physical
Therapy Traction Chair
2018 Tie for Second Place: Hutchinson Car Audio – High end speakers for the auto sound industry.
2017 First Place: NP
Systems Integration, LLC – A system that uses
nanotechnology to covertly identify products for authentication and tracking
through supply chains.
2016 Second Place: Endlas, LLC – A Laser
cladding/strengthening process for tools and parts.
2016 Third Place: QVIDITY Telehealth, LLC – A telehealth
system for healthcare providers.
2015 Third Place: Module Innovations – Affordable and innovative
diagnostic devices for rapid microbial detection in clinical and non-clinical
samples.
2015 Tie for
First Place: VRC Metal Systems, LLC – Hand-held high pressure cold spray.
2014 First
Place: Nanofiber Separations, LLC – Nanofiber product with advanced purification devices.
2013 First Place: CalxAqua, LLC – A proprietary limestone based technology to remove arsenic and heavy
metals from water.