Arctic Innovation Competition winner takes $10,000 for his idea

October 28, 2013

Mickey Renkerte won the $10,000 first prize for this year’s Arctic Innovation Competition for his idea of the Tape Boss.

The Arctic Innovation Competition is an idea contest created by School of Management faculty member Ping Lan, director of the MBA program. The competition is managed by a committee of students and staff with MBA students participating in the initial stages of idea screening and the day of the event.

The competition was open to the public and there was no entry fee. Individuals or groups with an idea for solving real-life problems were encouraged to enter. After over 327 ideas were sifted through by students, engineers and the AIC committee, 20 were chosen for the adult division and seven for the junior. Ideas were presented to a panel of judges on Friday, Oct. 18. The following winners were also announced:

$10,000– first place: Mickey Renkert, Tape Boss

$5,000– second place: Brian McKinnon, Alumaski for Alaskan Rivers

$2,000 – third place: Mark Gunkel, Spot on Bow Sight

$1,000 – fourth place: Rick Patton, Food Smoke Adaptor

The rest of the top 20 competitors each won $100.

In the AIC Jr. division, the winners were:

$500 – first place: Nathaniel Cook, Heart Monitoring Shooting Glass

$300 – decond place: Adjustable Keel Leveler

$200 – third place: Removable Felt Soles

The rest of the top seven junior competitors won $25.

For more information contact Tammy Tragis-McCook at (907) 474-7042 or tammy.tragis@alaska.edu.