What began as an idea to give children entering foster care something better than a trash bag to carry their belongings has grown into a broader effort to provide support, dignity and hope to foster children and families across Pike County.

For Amanda Johnson, that journey reached a milestone when Fostering Hope was named the winner of Troy University’s IDEA Bank IDEA Empowerment Series and Competition, earning $7,000 to expand its work.

The annual competition is designed to invest in people and ideas shaping the future of Pike County. Entrepreneurs and community members develop innovative business and nonprofit concepts, refine their proposals through multiple rounds of judging, receive feedback from mentors and industry professionals, and compete for funding to help turn their ideas into action.

For Johnson, the experience provided more than financial support.

“The entire Empowerment experience was such an incredible opportunity, not only because of the funding, but because it gave us a platform to share the heart behind Fostering Hope and the very real needs of children and families in our local foster care community,” she said.

Through Fostering Hope and its new foster care closet, Healing Heart Threads, Johnson hopes to provide practical assistance to foster children, foster families and local Department of Human Resources workers.

The $7,000 award will help the organization expand Healing Heart Threads, provide essential items for children entering foster care and respond to immediate needs when new placements occur.

Johnson said the community’s response has already demonstrated the potential of the effort. Since beginning the initiative, Fostering Hope has raised approximately $30,000, allowing the organization to consider ways to create sustainable support for foster care in the community.

“Winning the Empowerment event was such a huge encouragement and confirmation that our community believes in this mission too,” Johnson said.

While Fostering Hope received the top award, the competition also helped move several other ideas closer to reality.

Ian Herbert, along with Troy University students Tucker Bryant, Caden Whitt and Alexander Montgomery, received a $3,000 runner-up award for Troy Golf & Lounge, a planned indoor golf simulator and community gathering space.

For Herbert, the experience has transformed an idea that once seemed little more than a conversation among friends into a developing business venture.

“When I made my five-year plan in my freshman Intro to Troy class, you have to understand that ‘starting a business’ was not what I wrote down,” Herbert said. “In fact, this was something I never anticipated actually following through with, even after having the idea for it.”

The team initially discussed the lack of things to do in Troy. Through the IDEA Empowerment process, that conversation evolved into a business plan, complete with research, revisions, strategy development and financial considerations.

Herbert said the competition taught the team how to research, revise and communicate an idea while providing access to resources and connections they otherwise might not have had.

“We hope that through this, we can bring a new space to Troy that makes Troy less of a stop and more of a place to stay,” he said.

Also receiving a $3,000 runner-up award was Suki Tipp for TE Signature, a women’s industrial workwear brand designed to combine safety, comfort and professional style. The award will support product development, prototype creation and efforts to bring the concept to market.

The other finalists were Michelle McLendon, representing Starting Point Counseling’s Youth Mental Health Initiative, and Omari Vaughans, representing GameDay Customs Window Tinting’s Trojan Shield Initiative.

The program was sponsired by the Regions Foundation and Troy University’s Sorrell College of Business.

According to Lynne George, Director of the IDEA Bank, however, the competition was designed to be about more than selecting winners.

The IDEA Bank provided educational workshops to help participants develop their ideas and prepare proposals. Following each judging round, applicants had the opportunity to meet individually with George to review feedback from judges and identify areas for improvement.

“We wanted participants to understand that entrepreneurship education extends beyond winning a competition,” George said.

That philosophy shaped the conclusion of this year’s program.

Rather than a traditional awards ceremony, the IDEA Bank hosted an “Idea Exchange” networking event that brought together finalists, contestants, judges, staff and contestants’ families and guests.

The event gave the top five finalists an opportunity to discuss their projects while also creating opportunities for participants to connect, share ideas and explore potential collaborations.

“Our goal was to show that the Idea Empowerment Series was more than a grant or competition program,” George said. “It was a resource for information, feedback and networking, regardless of how far an applicant advanced in the competitive portion. The Idea Exchange was a way to symbolize that the end of the competition can also be the beginning of new connections and new opportunities for growth.”

For Johnson, that emphasis on connection was among the most meaningful aspects of the experience.

“The Empowerment process reminded me that one idea, when shared with the right people and supported by a community willing to say ‘yes,’ really can grow into something that changes lives,” she said.

Herbert offered similar encouragement to others considering the program.

“I think it’s worth doing if you have an idea you’re passionate about, period,” he said. “You don’t have to have it all figured out at the beginning. It all starts with an idea.”

Through the IDEA Empowerment Series, the IDEA Bank hopes those ideas will continue to develop — whether they ultimately become businesses, nonprofits, community initiatives or simply the starting point for a new connection.

For Johnson, that process has already provided a foundation for something she believes can make a lasting difference.

“I’m incredibly grateful to the Troy IDEA Bank and everyone involved for believing in Fostering Hope and helping us take another big step forward,” she said.