JA New York Announces 2020 Business Plan Competition Winners

NEW YORK, May 28, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Junior Achievement of New York announced the top six teams of the 13^th 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: [email protected]

SOURCE Junior Achievement of New York