New York City Student Wins NFTE Mid-Atlantic Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

Students win $3,750 in Shark Tank-style pitch competition and advance to national finals

/EIN News/ -- New York, NY, June 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global entrepreneurship education nonprofit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has named six local student businesses as the winners of its annual Mid-Atlantic 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 Charlize León Mata, NFTE alumna and student at Yale University; Marissa Y. Mack, Director, Commercial Bank at Webster Bank; Stephen Puntillo, EY Americas Corporate Responsibility Leader; and Bharanidharan Rajakumar, CEO of Transfr. The judges selected a first-place winner to receive $1,500, a second-place winner to receive $1,000, a third-place winner to receive $500, and three runners up to each receive $250.

• 1st Place: Dorian Guzman-Lora, from Atmosphere Academy in the Bronx, New York, with his business idea Energize, a gamified learning website with accessible video games that aims to fill the gap in STEM education.
• 2nd Place: Brandom Guzman-Lora, also from Atmosphere Academy, with his business idea Kimberlite AP, an online learning platform that empowers learners to master AP content and connects them with certified AP instructors.
• 3rd Place: Christina Dolkar and Chrisbel Martinez from The Academy of Finance and Enterprise in Queens, New York, with their business idea Athletic Unity, which empowers young athletes by providing affordable, high-quality apparel for schools and teams.
• Runner up: Nicole Nunez from the Jewish Renaissance Foundation in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, with her business idea FindSight, which helps incoming college students choose a major by providing fast, data-driven guidance.
• Runner up: Amrita Ricknauth from Yonkers Partners in Education in Yonkers, New York, with her business idea OilMist, which solves the problem of thinning hair by providing essential nutrients that encourages hair to grow back healthier and longer.
• Runner up: Taylor Rosa from Brooklyn High School of the Arts in New York, with her business idea GameSwap, a platform that allows gamers to rent, trade and swap video games seamlessly.

“I am so inspired and impressed by the innovation and passion from the students who competed in our Mid-Atlantic Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge,” said Mary Wang, NFTE Mid-Atlantic Lead Program Associate. “It is wonderful to see young people in our area showcase their entrepreneurial mindsets and use their unique business plans to solve a variety of real problems. They have big hearts and a strong willingness and drive to find solutions for today and the future. We also have to highlight the hard work and motivation of their teachers; without dedicated and supportive educators, none of this would be possible. This is only the beginning for all of our students; their futures are bright and full of possibilities, and I can’t wait to see what they accomplish!”

The event also honored Emerging Teacher of the Year Previous Ojeda and Veteran Teacher of the Year Lorena Izzo, as well as individual Volunteer of the Year Marsha Corelien and corporate Volunteer of the Year Valley National Bank for their deep commitment to coaching and mentoring the next generation of entrepreneurs. 

The NFTE Mid-Atlantic Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was presented by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) and Santander Bank, with associate support from 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

• NFTE Mid-Atlantic Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Champion
• 2025 NFTE Mid-Atlantic Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Winners

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