Four Michigan students advance to national finals of the Mott Million Dollar Challenge in Flint

Bold ideas from four local students are among just 60 semifinalist submissions selected from over 3,700 nationwide to pitch at the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, June 15-16 in downtown Flint.

FLINT, Mich., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Four students from Michigan have been selected as semifinalists in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a national pitch competition for K-12 students.

More than 5,300 young people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. submitted over 3,700 business ideas and social solutions to the Challenge. From those entries, 1,500 submissions were selected in the first round. Now, the creators behind the top 60 ideas are advancing to compete at a live national event in Flint, Michigan next week.

The Michigan semifinalists and their ideas are:

Save a Life with a Bow — Nia Bouser (3rd Grade, Pleasant Lake Elementary School, business pitch): A wearable medical bow with a QR code that instantly provides emergency health information and contact details, helping children with medical conditions communicate critical needs when they cannot speak for themselves.

Liam's Sun Truck — Liam Gauthier (5th Grade, Dieck Elementary School, business pitch): Trucks equipped with solar panels that generate clean energy to help power vehicle engines and potentially supply electricity to homes, reducing reliance on fossil fuels.

CVIsion — Mar'Jana Veal (11th Grade, Genesee Career Institute, business pitch): A flip-down, lens-free sun visor that combines the convenience of glasses with instant glare protection, with future plans to add smart features like AI assistance and video recording.

FitnessFriendz — Presley Lobocki (11th Grade, Genesee Career Institute, social pitch): An app for teens that combines workouts, wellness guidance, social accountability, community engagement and rewards to help users stay motivated and build healthier habits.

As semifinalists, each project will be awarded $5,000. The students will pitch live in front of judges during the final competition June 15-16 in Flint.

Funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as part of its centennial celebration, the Mott Million Dollar Challenge is administered by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in collaboration with VentureLab, Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), the Afterschool Alliance, Collaborative Communications and the 50 State Afterschool Network. The Challenge is designed to shine a light on entrepreneurship education as a meaningful way to help students build skills they need to navigate and shape the future.

Learn more about the Mott Million Dollar Challenge and explore semifinalist ideas at https://mottmillion.org/60-semifinalist-pitches/.

Contact:
Jen Peters
[email protected]

SOURCE Charles Stewart Mott Foundation