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@normanbates.net) for more information about the process.

For additional information, please visit Giant Vision Business Plan Competition.

Giant Vision Business Plan Competition Winners  

Student Division: 

2023 First Place: John Barbour, CounSil, LLC, web-based software solution that guarantees the efficiency and effectiveness of the funding and purchasing process in the military.

2023 Third Place: Zackery Holloway, Gerald Waterhouse, and Devin Filter, Vizion UAS, multispectral Drone for Agriculture Use. The use of multispectral (or hyperspectral) imaging for a UAV and more importantly the data processing and understanding for commercial and local farmers.

2023 Fourth Place: Bharath Maddipudi, Khang Huynh; Bio-Navitas; Valorizing corn stover residue (CSR) to value-added products like energy storage materials. This business concept evolved from research at Mines on turning corn stover bioprocessing waste into a valuable form of graphite.

2023 Fifth Place: Chami Senarath, Haakon Anderson, Christian Olson; Score-Score; a database and networking application designed to aid directors in the struggle of programming concerts through centralization and discussion of ensemble music.

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:

2023 Second Place: Scott Wood, Hosein Mirazi; CellField Technologies; The company created a human analogue testing device that decreases drug development costs and reduces the dependence on animal models.

2023 Sixth Place: Venkataramana Gadhamshetty, PT Tukkaraja, Cody Allen; BioBest; the company makes minimally invasive, viable, bio-inspired ventilation systems for effectively scrubbing the airborne pollutants and toxic fumes from mine ventilation air.

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.