Students Pitch their Projects at E-Fair

They Can Sing as Well as They Mow

Dozens of students, 5^th through 12^th graders, put their best ideas forward during Wednesday’s Youth Entrepreneurship Fair (E-Fair) at the Lamar Community Building, this past November 6^th.

Sponsored by Ogallala Commons, the event offered students a chance to present their business goals. Those who made the semi-final round then ‘pitched’ their product or service to the Investor Panels within a five-minute time-frame and the panelists could ask questions for another five minute segment. Seventeen regional businesses were community sponsors/investors.

Panel members were: Angie Cue, City of Lamar Community Development Manager, John Wittler from Vilas, Shiloh Freed, Baca County Commissioner, Traegon Marquez, New York Life Representative, Jose Ramos, Marketing Consultant with KVAY and Jenna Randle, Lamar High School Marketing Instructor. The E-Fair Judges were: Jake Chamberlain of Frontier Bank, Anne-Marie Crampton from Lamar Community College, Mallory Medina, TBK Bank in Lamar, Cheryl Sanchez, Small Business Development Center and Brady Turpin, Frontier Bank in Lamar. This year’s scheduled Keynote Speaker was Aaron Leiker, President of 25/7 Media. Farm Credit of Southern Colorado provided lunch for the gathering, after which, the winners of this year’s E-Fair were announced. Participating schools included: Vilas, Campo, Wiley and Kim.

By Russ Baldwin