Barrier Breakers Innovation Challenge
High school students in Northeast Ohio: Build solutions to financial health barriers. Compete in Demo Day (oral presentations), Innovation Gallery (poster presentations), or test your knowledge.
March 20, 2026 at Kent State University
Hosted in partnership with Kent State University
Your Path to Competition
Form a team of 1-3 students and submit your application. No limit—everyone who applies can compete!
All teams notified. Research your barrier and build a solution—use AI tools like Gemini or Claude to prototype. Don't just start—finish your project! Even a rough prototype is better than just an idea.
Present at Kent State in Demo Day (oral) or Innovation Gallery (poster). Cash prizes + scholarships!
How Selection Works
All teams submit their project idea through the application. Every team who applies participates on Demo Day!
We select the top project from each track (5 total) to present on stage during Demo Day with oral presentations to our judges and all attendees.
All other teams present in the Innovation Gallery (poster, laptop demo, app prototype, etc.)—and can still win cash prizes!
💡 Bottom line: Come with your best idea. Everyone competes. Everyone has a chance to win. We love seeing finished projects!
Innovation Tracks
Choose one challenge. Research why it's a barrier to financial health. Build a solution—policy proposal, app prototype, financial literacy tool, or anything else.
Resources & Evaluation
Everything you need to prepare, understand how you'll be evaluated, and make the most of competition day.
Event Schedule
Full timeline for March 20, 2026 at Kent State—from check-in to awards.
View ScheduleTeacher One-Pager
Share with administrators to make competition day a school field trip.
What We Look For
Like Y Combinator, we care about potential and ability to execute—not just the idea.
- Team & Execution — Why is your team suited to tackle this?
- Problem Clarity — How well do you understand the barrier?
- Solution Potential — Is your approach thoughtful and feasible?
- Ambition & Impact — How big could this be if it works?
How Projects Are Scored
Same rubric for Demo Day (oral presentations) and Innovation Gallery (poster presentations). Each criterion scored 1-5.
Problem Understanding • Solution Quality • Presentation • Impact Potential
25 points each • 100 points total
View Full Rubric →Three Ways to Compete
Cash prizes + Kent State
scholarships + school grants
Sponsored
by Valmark Financial Group
🚀 Demo Day (Oral Presentations)
Top team from each of 5 tracks. 5-min pitch + 2-min Q&A.
- 1st Place — $7,500 ($4,000 cash + $2,500 scholarship + $1,000 school)
- 2nd Place — $4,650 ($2,500 cash + $1,500 scholarship + $650 school)
- 3rd Place — $2,750 ($1,250 cash + $1,000 scholarship + $500 school)
- 4th Place — $1,850 ($750 cash + $750 scholarship + $350 school)
- 5th Place — $1,250 ($500 cash + $500 scholarship + $250 school)
Scholarships require attending KSU & selecting ACCBE major/minor. School grants go directly to the school.
📊 Innovation Gallery (Poster Presentations)
All teams not in Demo Day. Present 1-on-1 with judges via poster or display.
- 1st PlaceTo Be Determined
- 2nd PlaceTo Be Determined
- 3rd PlaceTo Be Determined
🧠 Knowledge Track
Test your financial literacy! Open to all attendees. 20-30 min phone test.
- 1st Place$250 Cash
- 2nd Place$150 Cash
- 3rd Place$100 Cash
Student cash prizes split among team members. High school awards go directly to the school. Prize amounts may increase as we add more sponsors.
Past Champions
Previous Winners
Celebrating students who tackled barriers to financial health
with innovative solutions.
Previous Winners
Celebrating students who tackled barriers to financial health with innovative solutions.
2025
2024
Frequently Asked
High school students from Northeast Ohio schools. Compete individually or form teams of up to 3 people. Teams split cash prizes equally among all members.
No limit! Any number of teams from your school can apply and compete. All accepted teams compete at Kent State—either in Demo Day (top 5 teams, one per track) or the Innovation Gallery (everyone else).
Yes! We strongly encourage it. AI tools like Google Gemini, Claude, and ChatGPT can help you prototype apps, analyze data, generate code, or create content faster. Embrace AI and use it to your advantage.
Any format that demonstrates your research and solution—video demo, working prototype, written proposal, slide deck, policy paper, or creative presentation. Use whatever format best showcases your innovation.
2026 Sponsors
These organizations make it possible for students to compete for life-changing prizes.
💎 Platinum Sponsor
Become a Sponsor
Join us in empowering the next generation of financial health innovators.
Inquire About SponsorshipReady to Break Barriers?
Three ways to win: Build a solution, present in the Gallery, or test your financial literacy. RSVP for the event on March 20, 2026.