This semester, upper school entrepreneurship students participated in a prestigious business plan competition open to 13-18-year-old students around the world...The Conrad Challenge. The Conrad Challenge invites student teams from around the world to apply science, technology, entrepreneurship and innovation solutions to real-world problems in the categories of Aerospace & Aviation, Cyber-Technology & Security, Energy &Environment, Health & Nutrition, Transforming Education Through Technology, Smoke-Free World: Eliminating & Reducing Teen Vaping, and Smoke-Free World: Re-Purposed Farmlands & Tobacco Crops.

CDS had one team who completed the requirements for Round 2 and have been named Conrad Innovators. Rohan K. and Laney H., class of 2022, competed under the category of The Foundation for a Smoke-Free world: Eliminating Teen Vaping.  

The original plan for the Conrad Challenge was a 3-day conference and competition (referred to as the Innovation Summit) at the Kennedy Space Center.  However, the Innovation Summit due to COVID-19 will now be done 100% virtually. 

Laney & Rohan are preparing for the final round of the Conrad Challenge's 2020 Innovation Summit. Their final business plan and pitch are due in May and they will be compete against the 37 finalist teams for the honor of being named a finalist in their category. Matt Phillips, CDS alumni, has participated in several business plan competitions with a product he created called LiftSync. Matt offered to meet virtually with Laney & Rohan to review their plan, and to share helpful tips on preparing for the live pitch event.  

CDS is so excited for Rohan and Laney as they work to submit their finalized business plan as well as participate in a virtual live pitch challenge. The fact that they are one of 37 finalist teams who will be presenting their social business concept to a panel of judges in hopes to win the distinction of “Pete Conrad Scholar” as well as prizes & scholarships is impressive and exciting. 

Here is a brief summary of the company that Laney and Rohan have created and will present in May from co-founder, Laney H.

BrEathe HAPPY is an interactive and hands-on program crafted especially for the prevention of teen vaping. Our program allows students ages 12 - 18 to participate in 4 interactive stations that teach them about the harmful effects that nicotine and vaping cause. Vaping destroys the lungs and the body from the inside out and the vape industry will do anything to keep that from becoming clear to their #1 customer. Our motive is to be the first message that teens hear about vaping and to tackle the problem before it develops. Students learn in different ways and not all retain information from presentations and reading. We wanted to create a program that can appeal to every teen for the highest efficiency of retention, and that is exactly what we did.  

Not only have schools been paying attention to our business, but BrEathe HAPPY is also one of the 5 finalists in the final round from the category "Eliminating and Reducing Teen Vaping", that is advancing to the Virtual Innovation Summit on May 27-29.

In the future, we are looking to expand and grow our business for the benefit of society. We are trying to advertise and gain attraction through social media to develop our business further. Our goal is to have an effect on as many teens as possible. After the pass of COVID-19, we will continue the programs. As of now, we are reaching out to different schools and have a few programs pending for the next school year. We are so excited about where this journey will take us!

Follow Team Breathe Happy Co on Instagram.

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The Conrad Challenge began in 2008 as a way to honor the legacy of Apollo 12 astronaut, Charles “Pete” Conrad, and his four-decade passion for innovation and entrepreneurship. Pete spent 20 years as a U.S. Navy Test Pilot and NASA Astronaut. In November 1969, he became the third man to walk on the Moon. The mission of the Conrad Challenge today to combine science and technology-based education, innovation, and entrepreneurship to inspire solutions for achieving global sustainability.  

Thank you to CDS US Design Technology and Business Management Teacher, Lindsey Montague for facilitating this opportunity for our students.