May 6—Finalists competing in the Greater Owensboro Go Pitch competition took to the stage Thursday afternoon at the Owensboro Convention Center in attempt top wow the judges and take home the $5,000 grand prize.

Hosted by the Greater Owensboro Economic Development Corporation and the Small Business Development Center, the "Shark Tank"-style competition is designed to help local business people and entrepreneurs get a leg up in developing their business.

Amy Burgan, owner of Art Lab Owensboro, successfully pitched her business plan to the judges and walked away the grand prize winner.

"I created Art Lab Owensboro to provide high-quality art and STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) education for our local children," Burgan said during her pitch.

Burgan said the National Science Foundation has noted that STEM education is critical to give children the tools to solve the problems of tomorrow. She went on to show some activities for children that bring them both elements together.

Burgan, who has a bachelor's degree in education and a master's degree in school administration, is an educator who has also sold her own art for 15 years.

"As a nation, we are severely underserving our children in art and STEM," she said. "In Daviess County, we have over 7,00 children between the ages of 5 and 14, and there are very few sporadic activities for art and STEM outside the classroom."

Burgan said she foresees offering small classes, providing flexibility for what is offered in time and cost and providing what is lacking in local school curriculums.

After receiving her "giant check" for $5,000, Burgan said participating in the Go Pitch competition was a humbling experience, and she feels grateful to have won.

"I spent a lot of hours trying to make sure I had the precise language to communicate the message," she said.

Burgan said she will be using her prize money to purchase some educational robotics equipment that should serve her well for several years.

Daviess County High School seniors Daniel Flick, Noah Clark and Preston Smith were also successful in pitching their business plan to the judges.

Titled Benchsmart Benches, the trio created a bench with solar powered battery banks built into its arms that will connect to chargers for any USB devices.

"Benchsmart benches began as an idea formulated in our school's student technology leadership program," Smith said during the pitch. "Our concept comes from society's increased reliance on technology, especially during the time of the pandemic, the need for renewable energy and people's urge to go outside despite having increased responsibilities online, especially with online work."

Smith and Clark, who represented the team Thursday, answered a variety of questions from the judges, ranging from the practicalities of shipping the fully-assembled benches to if they had considered an arrangement where they would be leased to customers rather than purchased outright.

Benchsmart benches not only won the $2,500 second place price, but also the $1,500 popular vote that was decided on by the event's audience.

Other finalists were:

—Mindful Mushrooms, owned by Jill Taylor and Gillian Grant.

—Sundance & Sam Books, owned by Molly McCarroll.

—Tiki Lab, owned by Daniel and Maria Keaveny.

Judges for the competition included Aaron Kizer, a local artist and entrepreneur, Allison Ross, COO and vice president of Gryphon Environmental, Michael J. Kane, president of Commonwealth Seed Capital, and John Marshall Moore, president and managing partner of Moore Automotive.