Successful flowering. His Anthony Nied, second from the left, won his 2022 Idea Challenge for his own small business, his Flawn Flowering Lawn Kit. (Submitted photo)
The winners of the Eau Claire Regional Economic Development Corporation’s annual 2022 Idea Challenge are local startups creating seed kits to create a flowering lawn.
After a pitch session on December 8th in front of industry experts, the Flawn Flowering Lawn Kit was named the winner. This honor includes $5,000 thanks to the sponsorship of Northwestern Bank.
Anthony Nied is the founder of Flawn. Flawn creates custom his blends of pollinator-friendly seeds and spreads them over existing lawns to ultimately reduce the cost of fertilizing, watering and mowing.
According to a press release, Nied will use the prize money to provide a new custom to a Wisconsin-based environmentally conscious company that will allow consumers to apply the Flawn Seed Kit in a completely sustainable and even easier way. I plan to order a cut and print package. “
Other finalists included Eau Claire Refillery, a zero-waste refill store. Goatful Games created a music-inspired board game. Peace Tree Childcare Management providing expertise for those who want to open a daycare. Cereus is a software-as-a-service company that helps websites comply with privacy laws.
The Idea Challenge is open to any local individual or business with a new product or service idea, and all finalists received $500 plus some marketing and business services. For more information, please visit www.eauclaire-wi.com/entrepreneurs/idea-challenge.