Local winery turns Honky Tonk Concert into fundraiser for student innovator

LEAVENWORTH —- This year, Neu Flessenow Cellars will be using its Honky Tonk Concert on June 20 to support Cascade High School students pursuing their dreams.

All proceeds from ticket sales will help CHS junior and young entrepreneur Elliot Tiegel as he continues developing OhmLife Insoles, a concept designed to convert kinetic energy generated through walking, hiking and running into electricity capable of charging phones, GPS units and other small devices.

Starting with an interest in engineering and business, Tiegel said he came up with the idea last summer when he identified an issue he could relate to: the heavy weight battery packs add to backpacking.

“It was a lot of trial and error. I started off in the garage at my house with an old jewelry soldering iron, some parts that I bought off Amazon and eBay, and a piece of styrofoam, and from there I was able to get an LED to light up using a piezo,” said Tiegel.

Today, he has a working prototype. Footstep pressure activates energy harvesting elements distributed across the insole, and the energy is stored in an integrated battery in the heel. The heel contains a wired output port where consumers can connect their small devices. He has filed a provisional patent application and will be testing his product in the field with hikers, hunters, backpackers this summer.

Tiegel debuted his idea during a student pitch competition at NCW Tech Alliance’s annual Flywheel Investment Conference, where he ultimately received the Audience Choice Award. As a featured panelist at the conference, Neu Flessenow co-owner Laura Bruders-Torres said she was impressed with Tiegel’s ingenuity and professionalism.

“It was really inspiring for me, you know, all these young people bringing their ideas and doing something really amazing and having dreams,” said Laura Bruders-Torres.

“I honestly think it's brilliant, and I think it'll be something that can be used way beyond what the thinking is right now,” added Neu Flessenow co-owner Bill Bruders-Torres.

Laura and Bill Bruders-Torres decided to use the Honky Tonk event as an opportunity to not only help Tiegel pursue his dreams, but to lay the foundation for supporting more local students to do the same. As such, the two performers of the evening —- Beau Warren and Chris Ward — will be preceded by a local student band, Project 42.

“I think we got some pretty awesome performers coming in…And these young people, they're pretty darn good,” said Bill Bruders-Torres.

The Honky Tonk Concert will be held from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. on June 20 at Neu Flessenow Cellars, located at 50 Sires Lane, Leavenworth. The event will have local food vendors on site, with Neu Flessenow wines, Chateau wine slushies and cold drinks available for purchase. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased at neuflessenowwinery.com.

“I think a big part of what the night is going to be at Honky Tonk is to inspire other people to support youth doing this, so that's where I really hope the impact is…because I know there's a lot of talent of ingenuity in the valley,” said Tiegel.

Tiegel said he plans to use the funding from both the student pitch competition and the Neu Flessenow event to further development and testing, with the hope that the product can go to market in the next couple of years.

Taylor Caldwell: 509-433-7276 or taylor@ward.media