Students win $3,000 in Shark Tank-style pitch competition, advance to national finals
NFTE Capital Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Champion
2024 NFTE Capital Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Winners
WASHINGTON, DC, June 13, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global entrepreneurship education nonprofit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has selected four local student companies as the winners of its annual Capital Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. The young entrepreneurs will emerge with innovative business ideas and then present them at the national finals in New York on October 10 to compete for the title of national champion and a cash prize.
Participants presented their unique business concepts to a prestigious panel of judges, including NFTE alumna Jan Baker, experience and service designer at Innovashion Group, Anthony Calderazzi, assurance partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), Andrew J. Sherman, partner at Brown Rudnick Inc, Daniel Vogel, assistant director at the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship at American University, and Tim Wills, principal at Wills Companies. The panel of judges selected a first place winner who will receive $1,500, a second place winner who will receive $1,000, and two runners-up who will each receive $250.
-
First place: Atman Patel from Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore He launched a business idea, “Story Crafters,” which aims to create custom digital books about his customers and inspire a love of reading in all children.
-
2nd place: Keith Harris from KIPP DC College Prep School He launched his business idea, “Tactful Tutors,” to empower students to reach their full potential by providing them with the tools and knowledge to nurture and develop self-confidence, critical thinking, and academic excellence.
-
runner-up: Noah Blackston from Oxon Hill High School in Prince George’s County, Maryland His business idea, “Table Top Pizza,” offers a unique, interactive and memorable dining experience where customers can customize their pizza to their liking.
-
runner-up: John Williams from Francis Scott Key Elementary/Middle School in Baltimore His business idea is “Earbud Buddy,” a tool that removes earwax from earbuds.
“We were blown away by the caliber of this year’s finalist students. They are truly a testament to the power of the NFTE program,” said NFTE Capital Region Executive Director Meg Stewart. “The students demonstrate that with support and training, creative ideas can be transformed into fully-fledged business proposals. At the heart of NFTE is inspiring and giving students the tools to carve out their own futures.”
The NFTE Capital Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was hosted by EY US and the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship at American University, with special support from Shopify, in collaboration with Citi Foundation, PayPal, the Benjamin B. Wills III Charitable Foundation and Santander.
For media inquiries, please contact Angelika Seaman at 603-504-8554 or Denise Berkhalter (APR) at 917-281-4362, mediainquiries@nfte.com.
###
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
