Governor’s Giant Vision qualifiers announced

March 27, 2018

Eight businesses will compete for $20,000 in this year’s Governor’s Giant Vision competition hosted by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

In addition, eight college students qualified to vie for a $5,000 prize.

Here are the qualifiers:

Business 

  • Ebb, Alan Maas, Rapid City — identity access management software company providing secure access to sensitive sites and applications using biometric authentication.
  • Hutchinson Car Audio, Nicholaus Hutchinson and Thomas Voboril, Rapid City — a new force in car audio with new products in the Sound Pressure Level competition.
  • InTouch LLC, Savoy Schuler, Rapid City — platform for harnessing new augmented reality technology to enhance the traditional education experience.
  • Ovo Birth Center, Lisa Groon, Harrisburg — maternity care in a comfortable, home-like space using the midwifery model of care for women experiencing healthy, low-risk pregnancies, with additional full life-space care services provided.
  • Rushmore Drones, Trevor Plett and John Herrera, Rapid City — identified great economic opportunity in recently deregulated drone use for commercial applications.
  • SmartGrid, Todd Christensen and Jamie Hale, Baltic — powerful embedded computing platform paired with specific sensors for assisting the utility industry with asset and security management.
  • Tailored Medical Devices Inc., Jordan Anderson and Sujan Lamichhane, Sioux Falls — products for the treatment of blocked arteries in the legs, a disease known as peripheral artery disease.
  • USA Kangaroo, David Hedt, Faulkton — help farmer efficiency in operations with the Walkabout Mother Bin, 4,000-bushel in-field storage.

Student      

  • Argent Bottles, Abigail Fuller and Nathan O’Hanlon, SDSMT — travel water bottle designed to accomplish military-grade decontamination.
  • Plateau Energy Films, William Trevillyn and Jenson Keller, SDSMT — transparent, energy-saving window film.
  • Skinapse, Emily Toering and Kelsey Westad, SDSU — scar cream to decrease the loss of function and range of motion, future issues with additional surgeries and cosmetic issues.
  • SpendSmart, Krey Warshaw and Joey Brown, SDSMT and SDSU — incorporates travel, expense, customer relations management and marketing data to ensure effective spending.
  • Studor, Sam Nesbitt and Mark Ebarle, SDSMT — an app to match student tutors with students in need of homework assistance.
  • Tiny Knight, Ty Dillabough, NSU — serving the special needs and disability community with a key chain device providing wireless monitoring by caregivers or family on a smartphone app.
  • Wo awanglaka Akicita — Protection Warrior, Elton S. Menard, Sinte Gleska University — early warning system app for school safety with specialized, military-type crisis training as an alternate solution to arming teachers while also employing veterans.
  • Wolves Wheels, Olaf Hanson, NSU — electronic bicycle sharing system offering students and community members a cost-efficient and eco-friendly transportation option.

The Giant Vision event is being held in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Economic Development annual conference April 12 at the Sioux Falls Convention Center. Competitors will exhibit and winners will be announced there.

Sponsors of the business program are:

  • Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
  • Black Hills Energy, Rapid City.
  • Christiansen Land & Cattle Ltd., Kimball.
  • Dacotah Bank.
  • First Premier Bank/Premier Bankcard Center, Sioux Falls.
  • MidAmerican Energy.
  • Toshiba America, Mitchell.
  • Valley Queen Cheese Factory, Milbank.
  • Wheeler Manufacturing, Lemmon.
  • Xcel Energy, Sioux Falls.

The student competition is supported by:

  • Gov. Dennis Daugaard.
  • Citibank NA, Sioux Falls.
  • South Dakota EPSCoR, Brookings.

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Governor’s Giant Vision qualifiers announced

Eight businesses will compete for $20,000 in this year’s Governor’s Giant Vision competition hosted by the South Dakota Chamber of Commerce & Industry.

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