Students win $3,000 in Shark Tank-style pitch competition, advance to national finals
NFTE New England Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Winner
2024 NFTE New England Youth Entrepreneur Challenge Winner
BOSTON, June 06, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a global entrepreneurship education nonprofit, has announced four local student companies as the winners of its annual New England Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Competition. The young entrepreneurs emerged with innovative business ideas and will compete for the title of national champion and cash prizes at the national finals in New York on October 10.
Participants presented their unique business concepts to a panel of distinguished judges, including Jill DelGrosso, VP of Global Field Effectiveness at Zuora, Patrick Good, Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), Sharon Keeley, Senior Vice President, Boston Metro Region at Santander Bank, NA, and Vasant Narayan, CEO and Founder of GATO. The judges decided to award $1,500 to the first place winner, $1,000 to the second place winner, and $250 each to the two runners-up.
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First place: Joa Luis Molina from MET High School in providence, Rhode Islandhis business idea is That Junk Removal Company, a full-service junk removal company serving the Rhode Island community.
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2nd place: Xander Faria from New Bedford High School in New Bedford, MassachusettsHis business idea, Radiant Rise Clocks, is a combination alarm clock and lamp that projects natural light 15 minutes before the alarm goes off, helping early risers feel less sleepy and tired.
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runner-up: Aiyanna Rodriguez from Commercial High School in Springfield, Massachusettsher business idea, “Dancing Broke”, is a dance studio that provides a non-judgmental space to dance.
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runner-up: Victor Duque from MET High School in providence, Rhode Islandhis business idea, GoLyte, is a wall-mounted electrolyte dispenser to boost everyone’s hydration needs.
“NFTE New England’s young entrepreneurs never cease to amaze me with their creativity, innovation and dedication to making the world a better place,” said Adumma Udeh, NFTE New England Regional Director. “Their business ideas truly have the power to change the world, and it’s an honor to witness the talent and inspiration of our students.”
The NFTE New England Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was presented by EY US and Santander, with support from Eastern Bank, Citi Foundation, PayPal and Shopify, and hosted by Silicon Valley Bank.
For media inquiries, please contact Angelika Seaman at 603-504-8554 or Denise Berkhalter (APR) at 917-281-4362, mediainquiries@nfte.com.
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About NFTE
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) inspires the entrepreneurial spirit through unique learning experiences that empower students to shape their own futures. Founded in 1987, NFTE is a global nonprofit organization that provides quality entrepreneurial education to middle school, high school and higher education students. NFTE brings the power of entrepreneurship to students regardless of family income, community resources, special needs, gender identity, race or ethnicity. NFTE has educated more than one million students by delivering programs in-school, out-of-school, in-person, online or through hybrid models. For more information, visit nfte.com.
Attachments
CONTACT: Denise Berkhalter, APR Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) 917-281-4362 deniseb@nfte.com
