Kierra Ehnes, left, and Emily Fowler accept a check for $6,000 from Trae Miler Thursday after the NECO Entrepreneur Pitch Finals. (Jeff Rice / Journal-Advocate)

By JEFF RICE | jerice@prairiemountainmedia.com | Sterling Journal-Advocate

PUBLISHED: May 24, 2024 at 1:40 p.m. | UPDATED: May 24, 2024 at 3:05 p.m.

A pair of 19-year-old coeds walked off with the $6,000 grand prize from the second annual Northeast Colorado Entrepreneur Pitch Finals on Thursday.

Kierra Ehnes and Emily Fowler, both graduates of Sedgwick County High School in Julesburg, pitched their CrutchBuddy to the four judges in the ballroom of Northeastern Junior College’s Hays Student Center. The triangular plastic device they pitched fits on the end of a crutch to give it stability and better traction. The result is better mobility for patients recovering from leg and foot injuries.

During their presentation the duo said CrutchBuddy was inspired by Ehnes’ search for a more stable crutch while recovering from a leg injury. The pair developed the plastic attachment as part of an FBLA competition. The device fits perfectly with the women’s other life plans; Fowler is studying sports medicine at Colorado Mesa University and Ehnes is studying nursing at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

While they recognize that developing their product while in college will be challenging, Fowler said they have a reliable support system.

“We know it’s going to be challenging but we both love a good challenge,” she said. “With the help of family, friends and mentors we plan on keeping this idea going. At this point in the game there’s no pause button, we’re in it and we’re ready to go.”

The CrutchBuddy prototypes were created with a 3D printer, Fowler said that won’t do for mass production. The women already are researching manufacturers once they’re ready to release the product to the public.

Second place and a check for $2,500 Thursday went to Roy Pfaltzgraff of PFZ Farms. PFZ is promoting a line of gluten-free grain flours that retains the flavor of regular flour. The grains were developed on Pfaltzgraff’s 2,000-acre dryland operation south of Haxtun.

PFZ has been a leader in cutting-edge farming techniques that focus on maintaining and improving soil nutrients since 2017 when Roy Pfaltzgraff attended a soil conservation conference in Burlington. In the intervening years, he has participated repeatedly in the Farming Evolutions conference in Holyoke and was named Colorado Association of Conservation Districts 2019 Conservationist of the Year.

Other participants in the pitch finals were Mags & Co., ammunition packaged for a shelf life of decades; J&M Sound Systems, LLC, pet collars that emit soothing scents, sounds, music or voice recordings; and Way Robotics, a line of miniature electric tractors for use in construction, agriculture and other environments.

The Pitch Finals added a youth category this year. Carter Lock of Haxtun came out on top with his idea for tele-plumbing to help do-it-yourselfers handle small plumbing jobs around the house.

The event was presented by Trae Miller and Logan County Economic Development Corp. with assistance from Rhonda Graham at Sedgwick County Economic Development Authority. It was made possible by sponsors Colorado Housing and Finance Authority, Cloudbreak Energy, Northeast Colorado Revolving Loan Fund, Bank of Colorado, B:Side Capital, Greater Colorado Venture Fund, Energize Colorado, Startup Colorado, Rural Communities Assistance Corporation, Tristate Generation and Transmission, Highline Electric Association, Basin Electric Power Cooperative, Good Business Colorado & Debra Brown, The Annex coworking community and Northeastern Junior College.