Warren Buffett's Secret Millionaires Club 'Grow Your Own Business Challenge' Announces Finalists

LOS ANGELES and COSTA MESA, Calif., April 26, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- What do the calculator, Popsicle and Alaskan flag have in common? They were all created by kids! So, it's no surprise that more than 3,000 kids from around the country -- ages 7 to 16 -- submitted entrepreneurial business ideas to the Secret Millionaires Club (SMC) "Grow Your Own Business Challenge," based on the SMC animated series. Competition entrants vied for a chance to win the ultimate prize: presenting their idea to Warren Buffett. Today, five individual and three team finalists were announced by the Secret Millionaires Club creator, A Squared Elxsi Entertainment and Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn exclusive sponsor, CreditReport.com. The finalists will present their business ideas to Warren Buffett on May 21 in Omaha, Nebraska.

Beginning May 7 and running through May 14, America can help choose the "Grow Your Own Business Challenge" winners by voting for the best entrepreneurial idea at: www.smckids.com/vote.

The five individuals and three team finalists were narrowed down from 25 semi-finalists after a panel of judges reviewed every entrant's business idea. Judging criteria included several factors, including uniqueness of concept, depth and description of concept and feasibility of concept execution.

"The Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn promotion has afforded youth throughout the country the chance to gain knowledge about financial literacy in fun and exciting ways," said Ken Chaplin, senior vice president of marketing for CreditReport.com. "The entries received from the Secret Millionaires Club 'Grow Your Own Business Challenge' showed incredible insight, and we're looking forward to seeing the kids in action when they bring their ideas to life in front of the judges and Mr. Buffett."

Following are the Secret Millionaires Club "Grow Your Own Business Challenge" finalists who will share their business ideas with Mr. Warren Buffett:

Individual Finalists:

• Rachel, age 12 from North Prairie, Wis.
  • Business Idea: Peanut Butter and Jelly Sheets
• Noelle, age 12 from Staten Island, N.Y.
  • Business Idea: Screen Savior – The Green Screen
• Aria, age 10 from Pittsburgh, Pa.
  • Business Idea: Shine So Bright
• Sarady, age 15 from Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Business Idea: Feel Your World
• Jacob, age 12 from Omaha, Neb.
  • Business Idea: Teddy Shreddy

Team Finalists

• Business Idea: Deals On Wheels
  • Charles, age 10 from Rego Park, N.Y.
  • Lucien, age 10 from Forest Hills N.Y.
  • Alejandro, age 10 from Forest Hills, N.Y.
  • Nataniel, age 10 from Rego Park, N.Y.
• Business Idea: Safety Guard'in
  • Michael, age 10 from Bethel, Conn.
  • Diana, age 8 from Bethel, Conn.
  • Amanda, age 11 from Bethel, Conn.
  • Lillian, age 7 from Bethel, Conn.
• Business Idea: Super Clothes
  • Anthony, age 11 from Puyallup, Wash.
  • Justin, age 9 from Puyallup, Wash.

The winner of the Secret Millionaires Club "Grow Your Own Business Challenge" will be announced following all finalist presentations and an official tally of online voting, May 21. There will be one grand prize of $5,000 awarded to each finalist team member as well as winning individual, and the runners up will each receive $500. In addition, the grand prize winners' teachers will each receive $1,000 and the other finalists' teachers will each receive $250.

Secret Millionaires Club is an animated TV series created by A Squared Elxsi Entertainment, featuring Warren Buffett as a mentor to a group of kids sharing his values with them through different business lessons. The series was created to ensure that kids learn good financial habits at a young age.

The Secret Millionaires Club Learn and Earn promotion -- sponsored exclusively by CreditReport.com -- is a yearlong promotion managed by youth marketing agency, By Kids For Kids Co. (BKFK) and is designed to extend the reach of the Secret Millionaires Club into schools, afterschool youth organizations and families through fun educational activities and the "Grow Your Own Business Challenge."

For more information, visit www.smckids.com

Secret Millionaires Club Copyright © 2011 A Squared Entertainment

About CreditReport.com
CreditReport.com is part of a family of online consumer credit reporting sites belonging to ConsumerInfo.com, Inc., an Experian company. ConsumerInfo® was founded in 1995 to give consumers quick, easy and inexpensive access to their credit profile. It is the leading provider of online consumer credit reports, credit scores, credit monitoring and other credit-related information. ConsumerInfo provides credit monitoring to its more than 3.1 million members and has delivered more than 20 million credit reports on the Web. As part of the Experian family, it continues to grow its membership base and develop innovative products to help consumers better understand their credit.

About Experian
Experian® is the leading global information services company, providing data and analytical tools to clients in more than 80 countries. The company helps businesses to manage credit risk, prevent fraud, target marketing offers and automate decision making. Experian also helps individuals to check their credit report and credit score, and protect against identity theft.

Experian plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange (EXPN) and is a constituent of the FTSE 100 index. Total revenue for the year ended 31 March 2011 was US$4.2 billion. Experian employs approximately 15,000 people in 41 countries and has its corporate headquarters in Dublin, Ireland, with operational headquarters in Nottingham, UK; California, US; and Sao Paulo, Brazil. For more information, visit http://www.experianplc.com.

Experian and the Experian marks used herein are service marks or registered trademarks of Experian Information Solutions, Inc. Other product and company names mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

About A Squared Elxsi Entertainment LLC 
A Squared Elxsi Entertainment (A2E2) is an international joint venture between A Squared Entertainment and Tata Elxsi (part of India's Tata group of companies). The company creates, produces, acquires and distributes digital kids' entertainment in all formats across all channels. Headquartered in Los Angeles, A2E2 is managed by Co-Presidents Andy Heyward and Amy Moynihan Heyward. Current brands include, lessons in business with Warren Buffett in "Secret Millionaires Club" environmental female superheroes who save the planet in "Gisele & the Green Team" with Gisele Bundchen; a craft show called "Martha & Friends" created with design-maven Martha Stewart, and a new portfolio of superheroes with Stan Lee, the first to be released being "Stan Lee's Mighty Seven." In addition, the company handles brand management and licensing for Build-a-Bear Workshop.

About By Kids For Kids
By Kids for Kids® (BKFK®) is a platform that empowers youth invention, innovation and entrepreneurship. BKFK promotes youth social innovation and partners with leading corporations to inspire product development, crucial technology skills, invention, and innovation in young people from 8 to 22. BKFK provides a unique platform for young people to develop, showcase, and commercialize their products, inventions and entrepreneurship. BKFK's "cycle of innovation" develops critical 21st Century skills in our nation's youth. The company provides educational resources — curriculum and challenges that promote social change, product development and entrepreneurial endeavors. Learn more: www.bkfk.com.

Media Contacts:

For A2 Entertainment: Sabrina Khan | 310-694-3125 | [email protected]

For CreditReport.com/Experian: Corie Jackson | 323-202-1075 | [email protected]

For BKFK: Judy Klym | 203-921-9039 | [email protected] 

SOURCE By Kids For Kids