Chamber Hosts “YEA!” Competition & Finale
On Tuesday, April 8, the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce hosted its 11th annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Investor Panel, a "Shark Tank" style competition for high school students across Staten Island.
14 students got the chance to compete for funding at this year's Investor Panel, sponsored by Con Edison. The Investor Panel is the culminating event of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a 16-week program in which students learn how to create their own businesses.
Anna Lau, a sophomore at Staten Island Technical High School, took the first place spot and earned a $1,500 investment for her business, Snugshi. Snugshi creates heat-able, weighted, and portable stuffed animals that are rechargeable for on-the-go pain management. Anna also received the newly introduced Board of Directors award, a $1,000 scholarship that goes toward the chosen student's education or workforce training.
Chloe Yuen, a junior at Tottenville High School, came in second place and received $1,200 for her business, Charmed by You. Gabriella Shalmiyev, a junior at Staten Island Technical High School, came in third place and received $850 for her business, Nutrio Power. All three students will be moving on to the national competition.
Students from the following schools competed at the Investor Panel on Tuesday: CSI High School for International Studies, Curtis High School, New Dorp High School, Richmond Prep Charter School, Staten Island Academy, Staten Island Technical High School, and Tottenville High School.
The program would not be possible without the generous support of State Senator Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and Councilman David Carr, who kicked off the event with opening remarks. Scholarship Partner Sponsors include: Avid Architecture, Chick-fil-A, Lynne Pershing, Northfield Bank, Person Centered Care Services, and The Rab Wilkinson Foundation.
Ed Burke, Chief of Staff at the Staten Island Zoo, served as emcee for the event and introduced the esteemed panel of judges: Josh Rivera, ConEdison; Laurie Guinta, Northfield Bank; Martin Mathis, Person Centered Care Services; Kamilah Briscoe, Staten Island Academy; Sean Conaghan, Valpak; January Nuzzo, Rotary Club of Staten Island; Ed Piszko, Small Business Development Center, and Mike Sanicola, Amazon. Additional Investor Panel Sponsors include The Lois and Richard Nicotras Foundation and National Grid.
Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible, and congratulations to all of the students on their stellar business pitches!
Photos by Steve White, Staten Arts Photography.
