Three student entrepreneurs were the top finalists in the North Texas NFTE Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and are invited to the 2018 National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in October in New York City where they could win $25,000.
The North Texas business plan competition held this morning was comprised of local high school students who completed the in-school entrepreneurship class offered by NFTE (Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship) and demonstrated their command of activating the entrepreneurial mindset by presenting and defending their innovative business plans to local business leaders.
The North Texas winners were:
1st Place: Katelyn Patane of Nimitz High School - Kate’s Touch - a belt that is specifically designed to only fit around the back portion of the body. It is an adjustable suspender-type accessory for those who don’t like wearing belts but who want to keep their pants up. They can come in different colors to match your outfit.
2nd Place: Yorlene Bonilla and Maria Borjas of P-TECH at Seagoville - L&M Cultural Box. In today’s world, many people - young and old - only know what they see on social media, on TV, in movies, or in the classroom. L&M Cultural Boxes will provide subscribers with the opportunity to experience a new and different culture every quarter by appealing to a variety of senses - tasty snacks, eye appealing pictures, cultural music, scented shells, and hands on crafts.
3rd Place: Kiara Colbert of Bryan Adams High School - TheraPillow - a pillow with a gel pack inserted inside. The gel pack can be heated or cooled to relieve pain from an injury or overexertion. Instructions describe how long to leave the pack in the freezer or microwave. The pillow has a zipper pocket, so you are able to easily insert/remove the gel pack. The customer has the ability to design the fabric used as well as the size.
The top two student entrepreneurs received $1,500 and $1,000 respectively and are on the way to NFTE’s National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in the fall. The third place teen finalist won $500. For over 30 years, NFTE, a global nonprofit, activates the entrepreneurial mindset in youth in underserved communities and the annual business plan competitions presented with support from EY, Santander, Citi Foundation & Microsoft, have been an integral component of this program.
About NFTE (Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship)NFTE is an internationally recognized nonprofit that activates the entrepreneurial mindset in young people. Research shows that the entrepreneurial mindset—skills including innovation, self-reliance, comfort with risk, communication, and problem-solving—prepares young people for lifelong success. Equipped with the mindset, as well as the business and academic skills that NFTE teaches, NFTE students are ready to thrive in the innovation economy no matter what path they choose. NFTE focuses its work on under-resourced communities. Through its nationwide network of U.S. offices, NFTE programs reached almost 35,000 students in over 1000 schools last school year. Partnerships in eight other countries allowed NFTE to serve an additional 40,000 young people internationally. Learn more at nfte.com
