On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, The City of Frederick hosted its first-ever Junior Entrepreneur Pitch Competition. This competition aimed to foster creativity and entrepreneurial spirit among youth, providing them with a platform to showcase their ideas, practice public speaking, and receive valuable feedback from experienced judges.
The pitch competition, open to Frederick County students grades K-12, had 9 Businesses present their innovative ideas for a chance to win a share of a $5000 prize pool to help grow or start their businesses. The entrepreneurs were divided into two categories: Idea Stage and Start-Up Stage.
There were five judges represented from organizations such as The City of Frederick's Department of Economic Development, The Frederick County Chamber of Commerce, The City of Frederick's Board of Alderman, The Maryland Women's Business Center, and the Acton Children's Business Fair.
Four Juniors walked away with cash prizes for their business:
Idea Stage:
Runner Up - $500
Business: Underwater Safari
Taotao Yang
Banner School
Remotely operated underwater drones, called "Waterbots," that efficiently collect trash while engaging users with live underwater footage.
Ideal Stage Runner-up - Taotao Yang, Underwater Safari
First Place - $1,000
Business: Rebound
Anushka Tyagi
Yashita Thalla
Druthee Vangapalli
Urbana High School
Accessible and user-friendly rehabilitative technology for individuals with post-stroke impairments.
Ideal Stage First Place - Anushka Tyagi, Yashita Thalla, Druthee Vangapalli - Rebound
Start-Up Stage
Runner Up - $1,500
Business: 3Dimension Prints
Jayden Jackson
Adonai Tzuri Home School Academy
3D-printed products such as promotional items and business QR codes, allowing you to show that your business is keeping up with times.
Start -Up Stage Runner-Up Jayden Jackson -3Dimension Prints
First Place - $2,000
Business: Black Bolt AI
Aarman Jamiluddin
Urbana High School
A platform that allows teachers to create AI Tutors/Chatbots for their students to enhance their learning.
Start-Up Stage First Place - Aarman Jamiluddin - Black Bolt AI
For more information about the Junior Entrepreneur Pitch Competition, visit Junior Entrepreneur Pitch Competition | The City of Frederick, MD - Official Website.