Providence Student Wins NFTE New England Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

Students win $3,000 in Shark Tank-style pitch competition and advance to national finals

Boston, MA, June 04, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global entrepreneurship education nonprofit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has named four local student businesses as the winners of its annual New England Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. The young entrepreneurs distinguished themselves through innovative business ideas, which they will present at the national finals in New York on Oct. 8 to compete for the National Champion title and cash prizes.

Competitors pitched their original business concepts to a panel of esteemed judges, including Aurora Castillo Magner, Executive Director, Digital Product Management & Transformation Readiness at Santander Bank; Elise Hanaoka, Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY US); Tameem Hourani, Founder & Principal of RapDev.io; and Katie Quigley Mellor, Program Director, Social Entrepreneurship at Innovate@BU. The judges selected a first-place winner to receive $1,500, a second-place winner to receive $1,000, and two runners up to receive $250 each.

1st Place: Evan Perez from The MET School in Providence, Rhode Island, with his business idea Color Your Life, which produces hyper-personalized coloring books designed to get kids away from their digital devices.
2nd Place: Dayneris Rodriguez and Rachel Soto from Discovery High School in Springfield, Massachusetts, with their business idea Eternal Fantasies, which produces eco-friendly, long-lasting, beautiful flower bouquets made from ribbons.
Runner Up: Rieden Harlow-Rivas and Yianni Nikolaou from Ipswich High School in Ipswich, Massachusetts, with their business idea Birdies N’ Bass, a fishing rod that is the ultimate fusion of two beloved outdoor activities, golf and fishing, into one versatile, eye-catching tool.
Runner Up: Jessica Zanchi from Keefe Regional Technical High School in Framingham, Massachusetts, with her business idea Groundlevel, a service business that partners with the video game industry to produce alternative accessible versions of popular titles in order to cater to common physical disabilities.

“This year our young entrepreneurial finalists truly represent NFTE’s regional footprint and the growing entrepreneurial spirit from various corners across Massachusetts and Rhode Island,” said Jennifer Green, NFTE New England Sr. Program Manager. “Our NFTE entrepreneurs from Providence, Springfield, Framingham and Ipswich had ideas that ranged from creating innovative new products by leveraging AI and handmade craftsmanship to creating lifelong memories, to providing a service that brings accessibility and inclusivity to the gaming world. I’m incredibly proud of our students this year, and so grateful to our NFTE teachers and volunteers for supporting them along their journey to become the next generation of entrepreneurial doers and thinkers.”

The event also honored Rookie Teacher of the Year Tate Shippen from Ipswich High School and Veteran Teacher of the Year Matt Warren from Keefe Regional Technical High School, as well as individual Volunteer of the Year Blake Underhill and corporate Volunteer of the Year Brookline Bank for their deep commitment to coaching and mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs.

The NFTE New England Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was presented by EY US and Santander Bank, with signature support from Brookline Bank and associate support from the Eastern Bank, PayPal, and Zuora.

For media inquiries, please contact Denise Berkhalter, APR, 917-281-4362, at mediainquiries@nfte.com.

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About NFTE:

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) ignites the entrepreneurial mindset with unique learning experiences that empower students to own their futures. A global nonprofit founded in 1987, NFTE provides high-quality entrepreneurship education to middle school, high school and postsecondary students. NFTE brings the power of entrepreneurship to students, regardless of family income, community resources, special needs, gender identity, race, or ethnicity. NFTE has educated more than a million students, delivering our programs in school, out of school, in-person, online, or through hybrid models. Visit nfte.com to learn more.

Attachments

Denise Berkhalter, APR
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
917-281-4362
deniseb@nfte.com

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