Jaden Recker: Recker's Mowing Service
First place, Student Entrepreneur of the Year, $3,000 prize
Recker’s Mowing is a family business run by myself and my father. We provide a professional mowing service in the Gibson City and Paxton area for both commercial and residential properties. Our weekly mowing service includes mowing, trimming, edging, and blowing off excess grass clippings to make sure each of our client’s properties look pristine. We also offer landscaping services, leaf cleanups, and tree trimming to fill our schedule in case of a drought, or during a slow season. What separates us from other mowing businesses outside of the quality of our work is our aggressive marketing strategy, outstanding customer service, and our determination to succeed. We leverage our understanding of our market, route density, strategic pricing, and incentivized employees to optimize the profitability of our business. These characteristics and strategies are not common in most mowing businesses, especially with our local competitors. Recker’s Mowing is not just another lawn care business. It is the beginning of a legacy we will pass on for generations to come, providing wealth and pride for anyone who takes the Recker name. Call us today.
Lucius Tran: Precision Details
Second place, $2,000 prize
Are you dreading the day you will need to take the time to do a complete detail of your vehicle? Or are you tired of lackluster car detailing services that leave you unsatisfied? Well, stop your worrying now. Precision Details is your go to for mobile detailing services, servicing customers within the Champaign-Urbana area. Our mission is simple: to offer affordable, top-quality service with unmatched customer care that exceeds your expectations. Precision Details offers a variety of services from basic interior/exterior detailing to full-service detail, and even ceramic coatings! We cater to car enthusiasts, the elderly, luxury car owners, and people who love the look and smell of a brand-new vehicle. We bring convenience and precision right to your doorstep. With meticulous attention to detail and a commitment to satisfaction, we ensure that every vehicle receives the treatment that it deserves, leaving you with a vehicle that not only looks like a masterpiece, but feels brand new. Are you ready to elevate your driving experience with Precision Details? Call us today!
Grace Bailey: Savannah Ridge Farms, LLC
Third place, $1,000 prize
Do you think it is important to know the source of your food? Savannah Ridge Farms guarantees great meat that is raised with complete transparency. We are a family-owned and operated organic farm based in Indianola, Illinois. We raise organic crops and livestock, with a specialty in Tibetan Yaks. Our herd is 100% grass-fed and raised on certified organic pastures. Our animals do not receive antibiotics or hormones and are humanely raised and harvested. Our commitment is to produce the highest quality food through humane techniques, organic standards, and sustainable regenerative farming practices. We also seek to provide this high-quality meat to our local community and to educate our clients on how and where our food is grown. This is accomplished through careful and strategic stewardship of God’s land and the humane caring and treatment of his animals. We strive for strong ethics and transparency to maintain a local, healthy, and sustainable farm operation. We are grateful to have access to the beautiful pastures our animals thrive on. Our food and farming philosophy is time-honored – delicious and nutritious food that comes from animals that live well.
Tania Spates: TAS Studios Presents Cinema Tales
Fourth place, $500 prize
Reading is so boring, and it can be too much to take in. I would rather listen to audio books, but the narrator sounds like a robot, and it is hard to tell the difference between characters. I cannot find time to do either with always being busy with my children, housework, employment, and friends. I just wish there was a new way to enjoy a good story. I travel a lot and wish I could find another way to entertain my children while we are on the road, besides relying on countless games and videos to entertain them. TAS Studios is dedicated to finding solutions for all these problems and more that arise from the stereotypes of reading by providing consumers with Cinema Tales. Cinema Tales are my version of auditory cinema. Just as a movie unfolds on the screen, my production team and I are creating vivid mental scenes by using sound, cinematic music, and voice actors. TAS Studios will provide consumers with humorous, personal, and emotional ways to experience stories written by me with a focus on highlighting the resilience and self-determination of individuals. Whether you are on the go, at home, or even at the doctor’s office with your child, you can turn to my Cinema Tales to enjoy your time! Cinema Tales are waiting for you, don’t waste another minute, tune in today!
Romanic Hall: RoLe Party Rental Services
Fifth place, $250 prize
RoLe Party Rental Services will make your party extra special! We are a party rental service that delivers the party equipment you need for your special event. Whether you need help setting up the party equipment or just need us to deliver it to you, RoLe Party Rental Services has got you covered. We’ve got the perfect themed inflatable bouncy houses and games for kids birthday parties, plus some party essentials such as tables, chairs and coolers. We also provide a variety of party equipment, for example: throne chairs, display carts, candy carts, jumbo light up letters and more. No matter the occasion, our goal is to provide products to bring the fun! Our mission is to bring unique, high quality, and affordable service to our customers. Our business is located in Rantoul, Illinois but we will work with clients all throughout east-central Illinois. Let us make your party extra special, give us a call today.
Joe Smith: Simmer 'N Share Café
Fifth place, $250 prize
As tensions between communities rise like dough left to ferment, and economic pressures threaten to boil over, the pervasive feelings of isolation in today's society linger like the unsatisfying taste of undercooked pasta. Life, without the deeper connections of a strong community, resembles unseasoned tofu – bland and lackluster, especially in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Enter Simmer ‘N Share Café, where we believe that the key ingredient for fulfillment is community – and maybe some carrots. As a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we're dedicated to blending the rich tapestry of talents and backgrounds within our community. Our mission? To foster unity through the communal experience of preparing and enjoying diverse, affordable meals together, all the while showcasing our differences as strengths, not weaknesses. But we're more than just a kitchen; we're a hub of warmth, guidance, and essential tools for creating and savoring as a community. We're passionate about making the joys of cooking accessible to all, fostering collaboration and creativity along the way. Whether you're a seasoned chef or a novice, reaching for a spoon or a spatula, know that there are never too many cooks in our kitchen. Join us in savoring the taste of togetherness and celebrating the unique flavors that each member of our community brings to the mix. Because at Simmer ‘N Share Café, we know that everyone has something valuable to bring to the table. So come on in, roll up your sleeves, and let’s cook up some community!