Top Tank: Where are they Now?
The winner of Top Tank received $100,000 to help them bring their concept to life.
The Top Tank judging team included the five businessmen financially supporting the competition: Cody Foster, Jim Klausman, Brent Boles, Mark Ruelle and John Dicus. Greg Schwerdt donated design work for the winner through Schwerdt Design.
Foster said they weren’t sure what the community interest would be when they created Top Tank, but they were excited to have more than 50 applications submitted.
“The goal was to build some excitement around downtown and build excitement around entrepreneurship in Topeka,” Foster said. “So from that standpoint, I’d say it was a big win.”
Boles says that he was surprised at how many great business ideas were presented at Top Tank.
“Restaurants, museums, historical sites were all things put forth by Topekans,” Boles said.
It’s really exciting and encouraging that
people are sitting around trying to
figure out how to make
our city better.
- Brent Boles
In fact, the ideas were all so good that narrowing the contest to the final 10 was tough and picking a winner even more difficult.
“Not many people realize that we brought in a diverse group of other people to help us narrow the finalists,” Dicus said. “So it wasn’t just the investors opinion of what downtown Topeka needed.”
Even though there was only one “winner” of Top Tank, Foster says the most rewarding aspect of the experience was that five of the contestants have since moved forward with opening their business.
“Opening a business is hard work, and retail businesses are even harder. I’m proud of so many of them for moving forward, and I hope Topeka will go support them in a big way,” Foster said.
No plans are in place to repeat the Top Tank contest; however, Boles says he thinks there is opportunity for others to take the idea and run with it, maybe in other areas of town, or in other business categories. And next time, rather than the winner take all approach, having additional funds or grants might allow more businesses to get started sooner.
As a self-proclaimed entrepreneurial junkie, Foster says he just wants to see more businesses open all over Topeka.
