NEW YORK, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement
of New York announced the top six
teams of the 13th Annual Junior Achievement of New York
Business Plan Competition (BPC). The format of the annual
competition, which immerses teams of high school students into the
world of entrepreneurship, was significantly altered this year due
to the effects of COVID-19, but the lessons at the core of the
program remained consistent.
The competition began in February
2020 with business as usual: over 160 teams across 13 high
schools submitted their original pitches for new businesses. The
theme was to create a service with social impact for consumers in
local communities.
In mid-March, when New York's
public schools closed due to the spread of the coronavirus, JA New
York revamped the program to be compatible with our "physically
distancing" way of life. Through remote meetings and online
volunteer sessions, the student teams continued their collaborative
processes to develop innovative and impressive business plans for a
high stakes round of online judging.
"We wanted to make sure that the message we gave our students
was that despite the disruption of day to day life, there will
always be a need for entrepreneurial thinking and planning for the
future," Joseph Peri, JA New York
President and CEO, says. "It's especially important to encourage
young people right now to keep their goals and dreams alive, when
things are confusing and uncertain."
Members of the top three winning teams will be awarded equal
prizes of $1,000 each, and members of
the next three runner up teams, or "Honorable Mentions," will be
awarded equal prizes of $100 each.
Closing statements for the competition were broadcast on YouTube by
the Founding Sponsor, Chris Andersen
of G.C. Andersen Partners, LLC, and can be viewed here.
JA New York is proud to announce the top three winning teams, in
no particular order:
- FundDuo: An online marketplace where organizations
can find business partners to conduct fundraisers with and
transaction processing technology to enhance these fundraising
events.
Leonit Gjonbalaj, Arman Khwaja, Abishek
Ravindran, Ankin
Sayet
W.T. Clarke High
School, Long Island
- Toymine: A subscription service that allows parents
to rent and return toys.
Max Bratkovsky, Taylor Greenspan,
David
Khotylev
Edward R.
Murrow High School, Brooklyn
- Cargo: A mobile app that will restore consumer
confidence among an industry that requires innovation, by providing
a transparent, trustworthy, and trackable service, while also
creating a professional experience for owner-operators and truck
drivers by offering clear communication, and optimizing their
routes while maximizing their vehicle loads.
Russell Feldman, Michael Karasik, Michael
Lilevman
Edward R. Murrow High
School, Brooklyn
The Honorable Mentions, in no particular order, are:
- Giving Tree: An app that can track an individual's
carbon footprint concerning their consumption of single-use
plastic. The app includes a carbon footprint calculator, daily tips
such as organic food alternatives, current local and global
environmental news, and interactive games for the younger family
members.
Nell Cote, Abbie Julian
Croton Harmon High School, Westchester
- Culture Share: A service that delivers the
healthiest foods from four distinct cultures such as Peruvian,
Italian, Thai, and Greek. They come in meal prep packaging to give
the most convenient and time-relieving experience.
Jorge Breibat, Frank Castellano,
Cristian Tavara
New
Hyde Park Memorial High School,
Long Island
- PostConnect: A simpler way for high schoolers to find
internships and volunteer opportunities.
Carl Liu, Leo Liu, Shi Hao
Zhang
Brooklyn Technical High
School
JA New York thanks Founding Sponsor, G.C. Andersen Partners,
LLC; Presenting Sponsor, ICE NYSE Foundation; and Major Partner
Sponsor, Delta Air Lines, for their generosity and dedication to
inspiring the next generation of business leaders.
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 more than 7,600 corporate and community
volunteers to provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give
students knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness
and entrepreneurship. Today, JA New York delivers more than 102,000
student experiences per year to more than 330 NYC, Long Island and Lower Hudson Valley public
schools. Visit www.jany.org for more information.
CONTACT: Stephanie
Zlotnick
Phone: 212-907-0050 ext. 146
Email: szlotnick@jany.org
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SOURCE Junior Achievement of New
York