San Francisco, Calif., June 02, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Imagine participating in a Shark Tank-style pitch-off as a young person, winning funds to further your business—and advancing from a regional competition to a national arena.
The winners of the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) Bay Area Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Finals will do just that, taking their business ideas to New York mid-October to vie for the title of National Champion and prizes from a pool of $18,000.
Participating students presented their original business ideas to a panel of esteemed judges, who named three winners. The first- and second-place winners, who will receive $1500 and $1000, respectively, will continue to Nationals. The third-place winner will receive $500.
- 1st Place: Abhinav Gorrepati – CredX, Silver Creek High School, Santa Clara County
- CredX is an educational online platform that encourages financial literacy in teens through engaging lessons.
- 2nd Place: Martin Luu and Carmen Ng – Seed-Its, Abraham Lincoln High School, San Francisco County
- Seed-Its is a sustainability-focused business that makes biodegradable sticky-notes containing seeds to influence the growth of natural flora while reducing waste.
- 3rd Place: Aaron Chen and Devaury Alemu – Crystal Clear, Abraham Lincoln High School, San Francisco County
- Crystal Clear develops N95-certified masks that are transparent for easier communication and adhere to your face instead of using ear-straps.
“Young people are changing the world—there is no question about it. We are so proud of every student and their commitment to entrepreneurship,” said Dr. J.D. LaRock, CEO of NFTE. “Each young entrepreneur’s innovative idea signifies an opportunity to address key challenges facing communities around the globe. We activate the entrepreneurial mindset in young people, and this is critical to growing businesses, economies, and communities.”
The competition took place on May 17 at the NASDAQ Entrepreneurial Center with a panel of esteemed judges, including:
- Satish Subramanian, Granite Solutions Groupe
- Grant Lewis, Zuora
- Ruben Resendiz, adHere
- Norma La Rosa, Stealth Venture Lab
The NFTE Bay Area Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was presented by AdHere, EY and Granite Solutions Groupe, with signature support from Stealth Venture Labs, and associate support from the Citi Foundation, Ebay, Mary Kay, Inc., and Zuora. Supporters include Celigo and Wilson Sonsini Foundation, with wines provided by Sean Minor.
About NFTE
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) is a global nonprofit organization that provides high-quality entrepreneurship education to middle and high school students from under-resourced communities, as well as programs for college students and adults. NFTE reaches 50,000+ students annually in 25 states across the U.S. and offers programs in 18 additional countries. We have educated more than a million students through in-school, out-of-school, college, and summer camp programs, offered in person and online. To learn more about how we are promoting inclusive capitalism and building the next generation of diverse entrepreneurs, visit www.nfte.com.
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