Trailblazing Young Innovators Announced for NFTE World Series of Innovation, Presented by Microsoft

NEW YORK, Nov. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- As Global Entrepreneurship Week comes to an end, a bevy of trailblazing young innovators emerge. The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), an international non-profit organization dedicated to inspiring young people from at-risk communities to stay in school and to recognize business opportunities, today announced the winners of the 2013 World Series of Innovation (WSI), presented by Microsoft.  The competition invited teams of students worldwide to devise innovative products and services that address everyday opportunities in 11 categories. With over 700 individual entries spanning 9 countries, three finalists were chosen in each category.

Four of the challenge categories were sponsored by Howard G. Buffett Foundation's 40 Chances initiative.  One grand prize winning team per category was chosen by popular vote and awarded $10,000 in cash and $1,500 for their school or youth serving organization. The two runners up teams for each challenge each received $1,000 for the student team members and their school or youth serving organization to share.

Judges from the other sponsoring organizations including Microsoft, SAP, Coca-Cola, Pitney Bowes, and The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, selected one winning team from each category for the Adjudicator's Choice. In addition, the general public with thousands of online votes cast awarded one team from each category for the People's Choice.  These winners received $2000 in cash and prizes and $500 for their school or youth serving organization.

The students of each winning team also received prize packages from the categories' sponsors, such as a mobile device from Microsoft and gift cards from Coca-Cola and Amazon.

The grand prize winners for all of the categories include:

"40 Chances Food and Nutrition Solutions" sponsored by Howard G. Buffett Foundation:

• Reducing Food Waste: Two Baskets from Stamford, CT
• Nutritious Foods Schools: Good Eats from Philadelphia, PA
• Nutritious Food Distribution Networks: Chiang Mai Connect from Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Local Nutrition Through Local Production: Chiang Mai Connect from Chiang Mai, Thailand

"Tablet/Smartphone Game Design" and Tablet/Smartphone App Design" categories, both sponsored by Microsoft:

• People's Choice: The Missing from Pleasonton, CA and CollaboratED from Stamford, CT
• Adjudicator's Choice: Eruditious from Silver Spring, MD and Approxinary from New York, NY

"Technology Sports" category sponsored by SAP:

• People's Choice: Fandom from Vancouver, BC Canada
• Adjudicator's Choice: SAP Sharks from Lansdale, PA

"Literacy Game or App" category sponsored by Pitney Bowes:

• People's Choice and Adjudicator's Choice: Word Avenger from Miami, FL

"Sparkling Beverage Marketing" category sponsored by Coca-Cola:

• People's Choice: Fruit Tablets from Miami, FL
• Adjudicator's Choice: Elixir-Beaniology from Richmond, BC Canada

"Community Committed & Job Fit" category sponsored by The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies:

• People's Choice: Your Hours from Miami Springs, FL
• Adjudicator's Choice: Daylight from Glasnevin, Ireland

"Replicable Business Design" category issued by NFTE in support of the Global Agenda Council on Youth Unemployment of the World Economic Forum:

• People's Choice: IsePure All Natural Cologne from Grand Rapids, MI
• Adjudicator's Choice: Errand Runner from Washington, DC

"The World Series of Innovation is a great opportunity for all young people to think big and to solve real world issues that can make a global impact, said Amy Rosen, President and CEO of NFTE.  "We look forward to the possibility of seeing these exciting innovations come to life and to continue to provide encouragement to young people globally to pursue the countless entrepreneurial endeavors that lie ahead."

The competition, a featured event for the 2013 Global Entrepreneurship Week (Nov. 18-24), featured groups of two or more students creating a new, unique or innovative product or service to address that market niche. Teams showcased how their product or service will impact people's daily lives and how they will market their innovations.  Submissions consisted of a description of their entry, a marketing pitch for the product or service, a customer profile and a 60-second commercial.

To meet the winners or for more information, visit: http://innovation.nfte.com/.

About the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship
Too many young people today drop out of school and struggle to break the cycle of poverty. Since 1987, the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has been inspiring young people to pursue educational opportunities, start their own businesses, and succeed in life. By providing entrepreneurship education programs relevant to the real world, NFTE empowers students to own their educations in and out of the classroom and to find their own path to success. Hundreds of thousands of students have discovered opportunity all around them through entrepreneurship via thousands of certified educators worldwide. NFTE supports active programs in 19 U.S. locations and 13 countries around the world. Entrepreneurs are a powerful driver of economic growth and NFTE sows the seeds of innovation in students worldwide. To learn more visit www.nfte.com, like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/NFTE or follow us on Twitter at @NFTE.

CONTACT: Alyssa Miller, 1-973-6151292, [email protected]

SOURCE Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship