Indiana teenagers win $25,000 for environmental start-up idea

By: Taj Simmons

INDIANAPOLIS — Venture capitalists are always looking to invest in the next big business idea. A competition proved that those ideas can sometimes come from the minds of teenagers.

The Innovate WithIN competition invited high school students across the state to present their business ideas for a $25,000 grand prize.

17-year-old Raina Maiga and 18-year-old Truman Graves took home the $25,000 with Compleyes.AI, their idea to help manufacturing businesses know and respect environmental compliance laws.

"People may think this is just a fun student project, but we want people to see this as a real product where they can put money behind it," said Graves.

"Two years ago, I wouldn't say a word if Bill Gates was in front of me," said Maiga. "Right now, by the end of that meeting, I would have thrown him two questions."

Maiga and Graves attended different high schools but developed their business partnership under the dome of the State Capitol.

"Raina and I actually met at the Statehouse while working on environmental regulations with state legislators," Graves said.

Their partnership came full circle. Maiga and Graves presented Compleyes.AI to leaders such as Governor Mike Braun during the competition.

"You really have to balance that you want people to help you and believe in you because you're young, but not count you out because you're young," Maiga said. "To come out on top shows the product and the vision is what people want."

They will go their separate ways after their big win. Maiga will start her first year at Cornell University and will continue to develop Compleyes.AI with the $25,000 investment.

"This is one of the top engineering schools in the country," Maiga said. "Students there are building AI technologies we couldn't dream of."

Graves will enroll at Purdue University and study mechanical engineering, but will not leave his newfound business background behind.

"Engineers solve problems, they create something, but you have to be ready to sell that. If you're solving a problem but you can't convince someone to actually buy it, you're not solving a problem."