North Carolina student advances to national finals of the Mott Million Dollar Challenge in Flint, Michigan

A bold idea from a local student is among just 60 semifinalist submissions selected from over 3,700 nationwide to pitch at the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, June 15-16 in downtown Flint.

FLINT, Mich., June 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Gray Adams from Mint Hill, North Carolina has been selected as a semifinalist in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge, a national pitch competition for K-12 students.

More than 5,300 young people from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. submitted over 3,700 business ideas and social solutions to the Challenge. From those entries, 1,500 submissions were selected in the first round. Now, the creators behind the top 60 ideas are advancing to compete at a live national event in Flint, Michigan next week.

Gray Adams, a 7th-grade student at Mint Hill Middle School, created the Skin AI-lyzer after years of managing severe food allergies, seasonal allergies, and eczema. Frustrated by the trial-and-error process of testing creams that could take weeks or months to show results, Gray envisioned a faster, more personalized solution. The Skin AI-lyzer uses a mail-in kit that allows users to collect skin samples with a medical adhesive strip and send them to an AI-powered analysis system. The technology would identify factors contributing to an individual's skin condition and formulate a customized cream tailored to their specific needs, all without requiring a visit to a dermatologist. Gray's goal is to make personalized skincare more affordable, accessible, and effective for millions of people living with eczema and other skin conditions.

"I thought, what if you could make your own cream that could help?" said Gray in the social pitch to the Mott Million Dollar Challenge.

As a semifinalist, the project will be awarded $5,000. Gray will pitch live in front of judges during the final competition June 15-16 in Flint.

Funded by the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation as part of its centennial celebration, the Mott Million Dollar Challenge is administered by the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) in collaboration with VentureLab, Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), the Afterschool Alliance, Collaborative Communications and the 50 State Afterschool Network. The Challenge is designed to shine a light on entrepreneurship education as a meaningful way to help students build skills they need to navigate and shape the future.

Learn more about the Mott Million Dollar Challenge and explore semifinalist ideas at https://mottmillion.org/60-semifinalist-pitches/.

Contact:
Jen Peters
[email protected]

SOURCE Charles Stewart Mott Foundation