Ai for everyone: The Corner Challenge: $1,750 in Prizes to Reimagine Downtown Lake Wales AI Visibility Podcast | Hosted by Jason AI Wade, Founder BackTier - Your Town. Your Corner. Your Idea.

The Corner Challenge: $1,750 in Prizes to Reimagine Downtown Lake Wales AI Visibility Podcast | Hosted by Jason AI Wade Your Town. Your Corner. Your Idea. What would you do with a downtown property if you had the chance to pitch your vision to local business, government, and real estate leaders? On January 13, 2027, Lake Wales Startup Night presents The Corner Challenge , a community entrepreneurship competition focused on new possibilities for 124 East Orange Avenue in downtown Lake Wales . Students, entrepreneurs, business owners, artists, and residents are invited to imagine what could work at The Corner, explain how their idea would benefit the community, and compete for a proposed $1,750 in prizes. In this episode, Jason AI Wade explains why The Corner Challenge is about more than a single downtown property. It's an experiment in grassroots economic development, youth entrepreneurship, adaptive reuse, and giving residents a meaningful voice in the future of their community. The Corner Challenge: Why Lake Wales Startup Night is organizing a competition around a real downtown location. The $1,750 Prize Pool: Proposed awards of $1,000 for first place, $500 for second, and $250 for third. Two Competition Divisions: A Youth Division for K–12 students and an Open Division for adults and entrepreneurs. Five Invited Community Leaders: Perspectives from business, local government, commercial real estate, development and construction, and entrepreneurship. Three Minutes to Pitch: How participants can explain their concepts without a formal business plan or elaborate presentation. What Downtown Needs: Ideas ranging from specialty food businesses and youth activities to creative spaces, coworking, entertainment, and shared retail. From Ideas to Opportunities: How community feedback, feasibility, partnerships, and local investment can help develop stronger business concepts. Why Young People Matter: Giving students opportunities to participate in entrepreneurship and help imagine the future of their hometown. Beyond the Winning Idea: How participation can lead to business relationships, mentorship, potential locations, and new entrepreneurial opportunities. What's your idea? Describe the business, activity, or community concept you envision. Who's it for? Explain who would visit, use, or benefit from it. How would it benefit Lake Wales? Identify the value for residents, visitors, local businesses, or downtown activity. How could it work? Explain how the concept might operate, attract customers, generate revenue, or secure support. No existing business or formal business plan is required. The Corner Challenge: Reimagine 124 E. Orange Avenue Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2027 Time: 6:00–8:00 PM EST Check-in: 5:45 PM Event Venue: Lake Wales Latte Lounge Coffee and Bookshop 229 East Stuart Avenue, Lake Wales, FL 33853 Competition Focus: 124 East Orange Avenue, Lake Wales, Florida Admission: Donation-based Competition Entry: Planned to be free Age Groups: Youth Division (K–12) and Open Division Organizer: Lake Wales Startup Night, presented by BackTier Proposed Prize Awards First Place: $1,000 Second Place: $500 Th