By Eileen Fleming
http://stream.publicbroadcasting.net/production/mp3/wwno/local-wwno-938708.mp3
New Orleans, La. – It was called the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge, and the final four gathered at the World War Two Museum for their presentations. Judges included Brees, his wife Brittany, and representatives of the Idea Village and Google. The Edna Karr Secondary School produced messenger bags from old school band uniforms. Lusher Charter School made fitted T-shirts. Walter Cohen Senior High School produced bracelets with an African supplier. Warren Easton Senior High School produced gallons of special-flavored tea. After private deliberations, Brees announced the winner.
"If you asked me if I would rather try to lead a fourth-quarter comeback drive or choose the winner of this competition, I'd choose the fourth-quarter drive. On that note, the winner of the first Idea Bowl and the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge is Edna Karr."
Edna Karr gets $10,000 to keep up the company. The other three schools each get $2,500 to help their enterprises. After posing for pictures and signing autographs, Brees explained why business is important for high school students.
"Prior to going on to college or, you know, whatever they choose to do after high school, I think that it's a great opportunity for them to get their entrepreneurial juices flowing. And, you know, some of them could be the next Bill Gates. Could be the next, you know, Michael Dell. I mean, you never know."
The Edna Karr team will be pitching their re-purposed uniform-bags to actual investors looking at other New Orleans entrepreneurs in March.
For WWNO, I'm Eileen Fleming