---
title: Naperville Central students’ ‘Plant Pal’ advances to national pitch contest
description: Plant Pal, a student venture from Naperville Central High School, will represent Naperville 203 at the 2026 INCubatoredu National Pitch in Chicago.
image: https://www.unchartedlearning.org/hubfs/naperville%20article.png
---

# Naperville Central students’ ‘Plant Pal’ advances to national pitch contest

[![](https://www.unchartedlearning.org/hubfs/naperville%20article.png) ](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/02/naperville-central-plant-pal-national-pitch/)

Chicago Tribune Naperville Sun

*By: Carolyn Stein on July 6, 2026*

For some people, plants are like pets.

Their presence alone can help make their owner’s day a little bit brighter, with some going as far as to give them nicknames. But much like pets, taking care of plants is not always an easy task. Forget to water it and it’s likely a goner.

That’s part of why a group of four Naperville Central High School students created “Plant Pal,” a self-watering device designed to keep plants hydrated.

Katelyn Burke, Jack Swigert, Ben Reed and Mahika Solanki created the gadget this past school year as part of their Business INCubatoredu class, a year-long entrepreneurship program that teaches high school students how to launch a business.

[Read More](https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/07/02/naperville-central-plant-pal-national-pitch/)

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