SPARK Jackson County is announcing the winners of grants through the Duke Energy sponsored SPARK ENERGY Innovation Challenge.

According to the Jackson County Chamber, the inaugural Challenge was a competition aimed at generating innovative solutions for renewable energy and sustainability.

Local entrepreneurs Stephanie Strothmann and Jessica Bowman were chosen for the $2,000 grand prize, sponsored by Duke Energy.

The announcement was made recently at an open house opening the new SPARK Shop, a collaborative space designed to foster creativity and support entrepreneurship.

For more information about SPARK Jackson County, the SPARK Shop you can visit www.sparkjacksoncounty.com or contact [email protected].