Young entrepreneur Franklin Vrtis wins Start Me Up Cup Competition

On Feb. 29, Carmel High School (CHS) sophomore Franklin Vrtis was awarded $2,000 to further his entrepreneurial project, Go Fun Yourself, a personalized card game business, by the Carmel Education Foundation (CEF) and State Bank in the second annual Start Me Up Cup Competition.

Franklin Vrtis making his pitch. (Photo provided by Carmel Education Foundation)

“State Bank teamed up with the Carmel Education Foundation to launch the Start Me Up Cup because of the entrepreneurial aspects of this student-focused contest,” said Andy Pinegar, Hamilton County Market President for State Bank. “We understand successful business owners have that entrepreneurial spirit and we want to help develop the next generation of business leaders. We hope to encourage these young students to learn the basics of a business plan, how to structure a company and how to make their company grow. From the start, this Shark Tank experience has been a great learning tool for these students, and it has been great for us as well – We have new faith in the next generation as we share in their ambitious goal of starting a company and watching it grow.”

The CHS Student Entrepreneurship Club and CHS business teacher Josh Shelton worked with CEF to market the opportunity and to guide applicants in the preparation of their presentation. Entrepreneurship club leaders reviewed the initial 11 entrants who submitted a video application and a business plan, with a goal of selecting the five finalists who would pitch their idea for the potential to win a $2,000 investment from State Bank.

The finalists and their ideas were Rebecca Lee: RePLASTICS: A Creative Spin on the Plastics Crisis; Grace Larkey, Siri Byrisetty, and Kent Fujita: InsightUp App; Franklin Vrtis: Go Fun Yourself; Athul Ramkumar and Sid Songrikar: Healthify.AI; and Arjun Sunil: Slow Eater Pet Feeder.

Start Me Up Cup entrepreneurs Athul Ramkumar, Sid Songrika, Siri Byrisetty, Grace Larkey, Kent Fujita, Arjun Sunil, Rebecca Lee, and Franklin Vrtis. (Photo provided by Carmel Education Foundation)

Each individual or team had 15 minutes for their live pitch and to answer questions from the panel of judges, otherwise known as “sharks.” Panelists included Jim Badger, VP of Marketing, State Bank; David Glenn, President, Coasterstone; Shaun Goodyear, Founder/Owner, Indy Facets; Lyndsey Brown, Owner/Publisher, Carmel Magazine; and Kimberly Hansen, COO, Old Town Companies.

The judges said they all were impressed with the caliber of presentations and range of ideas presented. Though it was a difficult decision, Vrtis had the winning idea focused on creating customized games. The judges felt that his model was scaleable and that the investment of $2,000 would be instrumental in propelling his business forward.

Vrtis said he was thrilled to emerge as the winner.

“My SMUC entry was Go Fun Yourself, a card game business that creates personalized card games about a specific individual!” Vrtis said. “I joined the competition to jumpstart my business’s success and learn more about clever business strategies. I hope that with the prize money, I can invest in improved ease of access and increased publicity through online advertisements. I’m so glad SMUC has given me that chance and I’m even more excited to get it started!”

Franklin Vrtis with his parents, Kelly and Matt. (Photo provided by Carmel Education Foundation)

Vrtis has successfully created several games already including the Roundabout Game featured in several Carmel area stores.

CEF Executive Director Jennifer Penix plans to host the Start Me Up Cup in the high school auditorium in 2025, with students in business classes as part of the audience. As a parent of young entrepreneurs, she has seen firsthand the positive impact that comes from thinking through all aspects of a concept, as well as navigating challenges any business will inevitably face.

Penix says she “is grateful to work with engaged community members who believe in providing opportunities for students where they can not only learn, but dream. The foundation’s mission is to support Carmel students in achievement and lifelong learning and the Start Me Up Cup is a perfect example of putting our mission to work.”

About the Carmel Education Foundation
One of the oldest foundations of its kind, the Carmel Education Foundation was created to help Carmel Clay students achieve their full potential. Since 1966, the Foundation has awarded over $2,100,000 in college scholarships to Carmel High School seniors and over $1,000,000 in education grants to inspire lifelong learning for Carmel Clay students. The Foundation is governed by a volunteer board of directors who give their time and energy to accelerate the Foundation’s mission by funding grants, awarding 85 to 100 scholarships annually and expanding resources for Carmel Clay Schools.