Two Boone County high schoolers earned up to $1,000 in prizes after their teams finished in the top three at the 2026 Kentucky Governor's School for Entrepreneurs Summer Startup Program, which concluded July 12 at the University of Kentucky.

Elijah Driver of Villa Madonna Academy and Savanah Nguyen of Ryle High School were among four Northern Kentucky students whose teams placed at the program's two-day "Pitch Fest" finale. A photo published with the announcement shows Nguyen celebrating her team's second-place finish.

The free, three-week program ran from June 20, through July 12 at UK's Gatton College of Business and Economics. It brought together 147 students from across Kentucky to develop startup business concepts addressing real-world problems. Teams tackled issues such as dangerous heat conditions and helping children build confidence.

At Pitch Fest, 30 teams split into two leagues pitched their ideas to a live audience and a panel of judges. First-place teams took home $1,000, second-place teams earned $750, and third-place teams received $500.

Gov. Andy Beshear praised participants in a press release, calling the program a pipeline for Kentucky's future business leaders and saying the students "continue to impress us with their innovation, creativity and hard work."

The program does not use GPA as an admissions criterion.