A bold idea from a local student is among just 60 semifinalist submissions selected from over 3,700 nationwide to pitch at the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, June 15-16 in downtown Flint.

FLINT, Mich., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Nolan McGovern from Eagle River, Alaska has been selected as a semifinalist in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a national pitch competition for K-12 students.

More than 5,300 young people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. submitted over 3,700 business ideas and social solutions to the Challenge. From those entries, 1,500 submissions were selected in the first round. Now, the creators behind the top 60 ideas are advancing to compete at a live national event in Flint, Michigan next week.

Nolan McGovern, a 1st-grade student at Scenic Park Elementary School in Eagle River, Alaska, has invented the The Fast Blade, a compact and affordable tool designed to help skaters keep their blades sharp while enjoying the outdoors. Inspired by experiences skating on frozen lakes in Alaska, Nolan recognized that carrying a large skate sharpener into nature is inconvenient and discourages outdoor recreation. Dull skates can make skating more difficult, especially for beginners who are already learning to balance and build confidence. Nolan’s portable sharpener is small enough to take anywhere, easy to use, and inexpensive, making it accessible for families while encouraging more people to get outside, stay active, and enjoy nature year-round.

“This invention would be helpful because it would encourage people to go outside and stay outside,” said Nolan in the social pitch to the Mott Million Dollar Challenge.

As a semifinalist, the project will be awarded $5,000. Nolan will pitch live in front of judges during the final competition June 15-16 in Flint.

Funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as part of its centennial celebration, the Mott Million Dollar Challenge is administered by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in collaboration with VentureLab, Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), the Afterschool Alliance, Collaborative Communications and the 50 State Afterschool Network. The Challenge is designed to shine a light on entrepreneurship education as a meaningful way to help students build skills they need to navigate and shape the future.

Learn more about the Mott Million Dollar Challenge and explore semifinalist ideas at https://mottmillion.org/60-semifinalist-pitches/.

Contact:
Jen Peters
[email protected]

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