🐉 What I Gained by Losing the John Ruffatto Business Challenge and why I wouldn’t change a thing

April 6, 2025

This week, Puppet Pandemonium took the stage at the John Ruffatto Business Challenge—Montana’s premier startup competition for student entrepreneurs. And while we didn’t walk away with the grand prize, I didn’t walk away empty-handed either.

Because sometimes, losing is exactly what you need to see how much you're already winning.

Let me break it down.

🎭 The Pitch: Puppets With a Purpose

I walked in holding a puppet and a purpose.

Puppet Pandemonium isn’t just a toy brand—it’s a passionate mission to give kids a break from screens and a path back to their imagination. We’ve already sold nearly 7,000 puppets across six continents, and we’re scaling to reach 1 million annually.

We’re part storytelling, part emotional development, and 100% hand-crafted magic.

That message resonated. And while it didn’t secure the prize, it secured something better—momentum, visibility, and a community of people who now believe in what we’re building.

💡 What I Walked Away With:

Validation from judges, mentors, and fellow founders who saw the strength in our model
Visibility that lit a spark with future partners, customers, and investors
Connection with businesses and creators who GET IT—and want to build something together
Although we didn't make final four, our model and actual business, garnished the Traction Award worth $1500. With that and being a qualifier for the competition, we earned another $1000. A grand total of $2500!

🧠 What I Learned:

I don’t need a title to validate my trajectory.
I pitched with heart, and I left with people who believed in it.
And honestly? I’m even more fired up now.

🚀 What’s Next for Puppet Pandemonium:

We're heading to the national toy show in Las Vegas in March
Launching a curriculum line for schools and therapists
And we’re building a community of parents, teachers, and dreamers who believe in unplugging and reconnecting

The puppet revolution is coming—and Puppet Pandemonium is leading it!

💬 To My Fellow Founders:

You don’t have to win the competition to win the game.
You just have to keep showing up—with fire, with vision, and with something the world actually needs.

Onward.

—
Trinity Gibson
Founder, Puppet Pandemonium
“Let’s give childhood back to children—one puppet, one magic story, one tech liberated mind a time.”

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