Junior Achievement Of New York Announces 2021 Business Plan Competition Winners

NEW YORK, May 26, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement of New York - the leading provider of real world education for K-12 students in New York City, Long Island, and the Lower Hudson Valley - announces the winners of the 14th annual Business Plan Competition.

Over 100 teams from 12 high schools across New York City, Long Island, and Lower Hudson Valley submitted original pitches for new businesses with the goal of improving school and work-life balance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Students used their first-hand experience to create product and service ideas that help communities stay connected and improve general well-being in the fields of health and wellness, work, productivity, education and learning, entertainment, and more. The top six teams pitched their business plans virtually to a panel of judges from the entrepreneur and business community for the chance to win cash prizes.

The competition ran from February to May 2021 and immersed high school students into the world of entrepreneurship. Students participated in weekly virtual workshops led by volunteer mentors from companies such as KPMG, American Express, Deloitte, and more. The workshops covered critical business development topics, including knowing your customer, developing your marketing strategy, and start-up costs. Teams also received personalized coaching and mentorship via Zoom sessions to help hone their pitches before presenting live.

"The Business Plan Competition is one of our signature programs and this year we wanted to make sure that even in a virtual world, our students had something fun and educational to look forward to." said Joseph Peri, President and CEO of Junior Achievement of New York. "We included a new virtual mentoring component where students worked with volunteer mentors to perfect their pitches. These interactions are invaluable, and although they cannot replicate an in-person, classroom experience, they introduced students to the importance of entrepreneurial thinking and how to adapt to the ever-changing world of work."

Junior Achievement of New York thanks Founding Sponsor and Board Member Chris Andersen, G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC, for his generosity and dedication to inspiring the next generation of business leaders. The panel of judges for the final round of the competition included JA New York Board Member, Gabriella Fitzgerald; CEO of the Community Company, Scott Gerber; and Chief Product Officer and co-founder of Pixlee TurnTo, Awad Sayeed.

The top three winning teams are:

• 1st PLACE
  CerebroTech LLC: A productivity-oriented company that aims to improve the long-term development of middle school, high school, and college students through digital and physical training in focus, memory, and anxiety.
  Anjali Aggarwal, Ryan Faude, Raheem Sheikh, Jeena Trinh
  W.T. Clarke High School
   
• 2nd PLACE
  Lanes: A mobile app that provides users an easier and safer access to biking directions throughout New York City.
  Gwendolyn Oh, Kelly Wong, Madelynn Oh
  Academy of Finance & Enterprise
   
• 3rd PLACE
  Globalert: A health data app that helps users track their own health status.
  Denys Prots, Ekaterina Kozak, Adriana Haydarova, Simona Ifraimova
  Edward Murrow High School

Honorable Mentions were presented to:

• Online Olympia: An online recruiting platform for sororities and fraternities.
  Sameed Wasi, Jacob Varughese, Helen Thomas, Naome Khan
  New Hyde Park Memorial High School
• SuppLI: A Long Island based subscription box company with the purpose of stimulating Long Island's economy through educating the world on the true beauty of Long Island.
  Toyin Green, Sydney Sparks, Ayanna Brown 
  Baldwin High School
• Young Opportunity!: An app that connects students to volunteering positions or internships with volunteering organizations and verified companies.
  Brian Huang, Aryan Lahar, Thomas Li 
  Brooklyn Technical High School

The following schools from New York City, Long Island, and Lower Hudson Valley participated in the 2021 Junior Achievement of New York Business Plan Competition:

New York City

• Academy for Finance and Enterprise
• Brooklyn Preparatory High School
• Brooklyn Technical High School
• Cathedral High School
• Edward R. Murrow High School
• High School for Dual Language and Asian Studies

Long Island

• Baldwin Senior High School
• Commack High School
• Kings Park High School
• New Hyde Park Memorial High School
• W. T. Clarke High School

Lower Hudson Valley

• Croton-Harmon High School

About Junior Achievement of New York
Junior Achievement of New York is the local affiliate of Junior Achievement USA, the nation's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. We recruit, train, and mobilize thousands of corporate, community, and student volunteers annually to provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness and entrepreneurship. JA New York delivers more than 57,000 student experiences per year to more than 240 NYC, Long Island and Lower Hudson Valley public schools. Visit www.jany.org for more information.

CONTACT: Alejandra Romero
PHONE: 1-646-500-3494
EMAIL: [email protected]

SOURCE Junior Achievement of New York

Related Links

www.jany.org