Newsroom

NIC student places third at state entrepreneur competition

From left, NIC students Dylan Herman, Casandra Rencken and Cain Gardner pose for a photo on April 3 at the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge in Boise.

Two North Idaho College student teams advanced to the semifinals at the Idaho Entrepreneur Challenge with one placing third in the April 3 competition in Boise.

Out of 81 teams from seven Idaho colleges, Simply Maid Clean, a home cleaning business founded by NIC student Casandra Rencken, of Post Falls, earned third place in the Service Disruptor category and received a $1,125 award. White Pine Cache, a secure RV and boat storage in Spirit Lake founded by Dylan Herman, of Oldtown, and Cain Gardner, of Coeur d’Alene, made the semifinal round.

Both established student ventures were developed in NIC’s Business Management Program in collaboration with NIC X-Labs, which prepped students to show their business to judges in multiple live pitch rounds.

“This reflects the applied learning model in action,” NIC Business Management and Entrepreneurship Assistant Professor Kylie Trout said. “Students are building real businesses, testing ideas in the market, and refining them through feedback.”

Rencken said that the competition made participants rethink their business and was a great experience. Simply Maid Clean creates cleaner spaces for clients and specializes in partnerships with local real estate agents and property managers for listings and move-outs.

“Judge feedback pushed me to think beyond current operations and consider how to scale for the future,” Rencken said. “It was valuable to hear realistic input and learn from other participants.”

The founders of White Pine Cache said their company was developed in class and fleshed out through competition feedback. The veteran owned company aims to specialize in spacious, easy to access storage.

“It's always a pleasure to see the innovation and hard work of NIC’s students gain recognition,” NIC Board Chair Tarie Zimmerman said. “Building businesses in the classroom through collaboration with community experts and our mission-driven strategies like NIC X-Labs are the exact things we’re excited about growing at NIC.”

For more information about Simply Maid Clean, visit simplymaidcleanllc.com or for more information about White Pine Cache, visit whitepinecache.com.

North Idaho College is currently enrolling for summer and fall. The Entrepreneurship Basic Technical Certificate can be completed in one semester, and the Business Management program offers stackable certifications, including entrepreneurship. Program details are available at catalog.nic.edu/program-guidelines/business-management-aas/.