mEAST LANSING – MySwinPro won the $40,000 grand prize Wednesday at the GreenLight Business Model Competition held at Michigan State University’s Wharton Theatre, while VADE Nutrition won second prize and a check for $25,000.

MySwimPro helps swimmers of all levels achieve their goals through custom workouts, training plans, and coaching. VADE Nutrition makes pre-measured scoops of protein wrapped in dissolvable packaging made of 100 percent food grade ingredients.

This year’s event offered $100,000 in total cash prizes, the largest in GreenLight’s history. In addition to competition prizes the event connects entrepreneurs with some of Michigan’s top talent in angel and venture capital investment.

“Every year, GreenLight draws more and more inspiring talent,” said Paul Jaques, director of student and community engagement at Spartan Innovations, GreenLight’s Program Sponsor. “This year we saw a record number of applications and event attendees. Michigan’s entrepreneurial roots are alive and well.”

Honoring Michigan’s entrepreneurs, GreenLight also provided the opportunity to celebrate MSU Federal Credit Union’s President and CEO, April Clobes, recipient of 2017’s inaugural Future Thinker Award.

“April is the first Future Thinker recipient, because she inspired it. April began this competition,” said Jaques, “and her vision and thought leadership are vital to the Greater Lansing Area’s, thriving entrepreneurial ecosystem.”

“It is an honor to receive this award,” said Clobes. “Helping entrepreneurs, small business owners is critical to the vitality of our community and the success of the region and State.”

The GreenLight Business Model Competition was co-created in 2013 by Spartan Innovations and MSUFCU. The pitch competition is generously sponsored by the MEDC, Varnum Attorneys at Law, MSU’s Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Lansing Economic Area Partnership, Foster Swift PC, the MSU Innovation Center, Invest Detroit and other sponsors.

Working to expand entrepreneurship and small business success in Michigan, the fifth annual GreenLight Michigan event included winners of recent regional GreenLight events in Detroit, Flint, Port Huron and East Jordan.

“Our partnerships allow us to support great ideas and innovators from around the state,” said Jaques. “Michigan startups are poised to compete on a global scale, and we’re proud to offer GreenLight as an opportunity, in addition to funding support, to help grow small businesses and entrepreneurship.”

This year’s awardees:

• MEDC SPONSORED GRAND PRIZE ($40,000): MySwimPro

• MSUFCU SPONSORED SECOND PRIZE ($25,000): VADE Nutrition

• THIRD PRIZE ($10,000): Switched Source

• FOURTH PRIZE ($7,500): MTBIsense

• FIFTH PRIZE ($5,000): Pretch

• SIXTH PRIZE ($2,500): Parabricks

• UNDERGRAD FIRST PLACE ($6,500): Kulisha

• UNDERGRAD SECOND PLACE ($2,500): CarryCott

• UNDERGRAD THIRD PLACE ($1,000): Stir It Up

Finalist teams included:

• AvidCor Inc.

• CarryCott

• CovertCasa

• Find Your Ditto

• Kulisha

• LooUQ Incorporated

• MTBIsense LLC

• MySwimPro

• Mytual

• Neonatal Solutions, Inc.

• Parabricks LLC

• PayLow Rate

• Pretch, LLC

• PrndL

• Safe Balance

• SAHI Cosmetics LLC

• Six Sents, Inc.

• Stir It Up

• Switched Source

• VADE Nutrition

• Valley View Malt House

• Vertexer

Learn more at www.greenlightmichigan.com.