LAFAYETTE, CALIFORNIA – February 7, 2024 – Three winners were declared in the first Contra Costa Shark Tank Youth Competition (www.contracostasharktank.org). The competition, open to all Contra Costa County students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, is a fun way to promote youth entrepreneurship.
“The Finalist Pitch Event was a wonderful culmination of over a year of planning to bring the competition to life,” explains high school junior Maya Hammerman, the competition founder and one of the judges. “The ten finalists did an incredible job presenting their businesses to the judges and community members at the sold-out event. They have inspired many young people in our county to explore entrepreneurship.”
The first-place prize of $1,000 was awarded to Fatimah Hussain, a senior at Dougherty Valley High School, for her business Workout Wizard.
“From the moment I got the finalist letter to the day I presented on the Contra Costa Shark Tank’s stage, the entrepreneurship journey has been extremely rewarding,” said Hussain. “To win the first-place prize is a dream come true, and I hope to continue inspiring fellow youth entrepreneurs to follow their passions and never give up. The best time to build a business is now, so what are you waiting for?”
The second-place prize of $500 was awarded to Ronen Jain, a sophomore at Monte Vista High School, for his business ElderSafe.
“I’m beyond thrilled to be one of the winners of this competition after the countless hours I’ve spent perfecting my app,” said Jain. “It was super exciting to get direct feedback from the judges and attendees about my business and how they would use it.”
The third-place prize of $250 was awarded to Archit Kundu, a 5th grade student at Bella Vista Elementary School, for his business Experimental Kids.
“Contra Costa Shark Tank is a great opportunity and winning third place gives me the confidence to take this business to the next level and make STEM learning fun for all the kids (5- 12 years old),” said Kundu. “Also, it was a learning experience to present my views in front of such great judges and such a large audience.”
I see a wonderful panoply of American color and American ingenuity pictured! Congratulations to all!
In related business news from Bloomberg, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office just revised GDP projections upward $7 Trillion over the next decade due to a surge in immigration including an additional $1 Trillion in tax revenue.
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