Two brothers who attend Lawrence Virtual School were selected as the first-place winners in this year’s Douglas County Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge.
Daniel Dao, a seventh-grader, and Lawrence Dao, a ninth-grader, have a business called “Don’t Panic AI Tutors.” The business “offers tutoring and workshops that aim to demystify AI, spark curiosity and equip students with the skills they need for a tech-driven future,” according to a news release from the county.
The brothers earned a $1,250 check and have qualified for the state competition in Manhattan, according to the release.
The Dao brothers and classmate Eian Pracht also won the eighth grade division of the eCYBERMISSION National Judging and Educational Event over the summer for their work studying the potential for artificial intelligence educational initiatives in schools and assessing the accuracy of ChatGPT’s mathematical reasoning.
Nine students representing seven businesses competed.
Other top prize winners, according to the release, were:
- Second place – “Ninth-grader Felix Kirkland, of Lawrence High School, $1,000. His business, Wedding Crushers, creates unique souvenir coins for wedding couples and guests.”
- Third place – “Seventh-graders Abhirup Maity and Grayson Barker, of Billy Mills Middle School, $500. Their innovative food truck, Mediterranean Munch, offers an array of healthy and fresh Mediterranean dishes, including pita tacos and caprese salad.”
- Fourth place – “Senior Emily Hulce, of Baldwin High School, $250. She crafts unique jewelry pieces and the name of her business is Vivien’s Customs.”
Junior Daniela Pena, ninth-grader Boonta Singmanich and senior Luzhilari Mathurin, all of Lawrence High School, earned honorable mentions and $200 cash prizes.
Judges for the competition, according to the release, were Amber Nickel, local entrepreneur; Kyle Johnson, founder of Douglas County CORE, Kurt Spachek, Kaw Valley State Bank; Karen Willey, Douglas County Commissioner; Jeanny Sharp, Silverlake Bank; Moniqué Mercurio, Douglas County CORE; Patrick Kelly, Douglas County Commissioner; Matthew Herbert, of Renaissance Painting; and Tyler Lindquist, of MultiStudio and Douglas County Food Policy Council. Jill Jolicoeur, assistant county administrator, organized and facilitated the event.
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August Rudisell/Lawrence Times
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