2023 IFE Final Business Plan Competition Winner Supports Small-Scale Restaurants 

The Institute for Entrepreneurship introduces Prep for Prep high schoolers to the world of entrepreneurship and technology. Through five weeks of seminars, mentorship, and group work this summer, 36 9th- and 10th-graders learned basic business and economic concepts, front-end and back-end coding, and app development. The coding curriculum was designed by our partner, Cambio Labs. In addition, students were paired with a mentor from Google NYC who provided valuable insight into the growing tech world. 

The participants, who worked together in small teams, were tasked with developing a business idea that addresses a challenge in their community. During the last week of the program, students participated in a virtual venture fair. A virtual semifinals the next day determined which four teams out of a total of seven would participate in the Final Business Plan Competition at Google’s New York City headquarters. These four teams pitched their ideas to a panel of judges that included entrepreneurs and business and tech professionals, some of whom were Prep alumni. 

Here are this year’s teams and the results of the final competition: 

Ethan B. (XLII/Allen-Stevenson '21, St. Bernard's), Alejandro C. (XLII/Exeter), Leo R. (XLII/Dalton), Nora A. (XLIII/Chapin) 

CEED provides an organized method for trading and bartering to combat the lack of access to resources experienced by small-scale restaurants.  

Rodney J-C. (XLII/Collegiate), Chase A. (XLII/Collegiate), Agragyan K. (XLII/St. Luke's '22, Collegiate), Jahleel M. (XLII/Poly Prep) 

Teach 2 Dream helps young people in underrepresented communities identify obtainable careers by providing professional pathways based on personal input.

Adelaide B. (XLII/Sacred Heart), Sonia R. (XLII/Bank Street '22, Nightingale), Karlee S. (XLII/Trinity), Juan Pablo G. (XLI/Manhattan Country '21, Dwight School)  

Welcome Home is a tool to help immigrants find affordable housing in New York City. It assists users in navigating the complexities of a new country, a process that can be especially daunting when it comes to finding a place to call home. The company strives to empower immigrants to establish themselves securely in their new communities.

Dyllen D. (P9 XXXV/Choate), Pema T. (XLII/Dalton), Claire H. (XLII/Brearley), Rocky K. (P9 XXXV/Exeter) 

AI Business Labs provides consulting services and employee training courses focused on integrating existing AI tools to one’s day to day, with the end goal of automating and improving company processes, quality, and efficiency.

Zidane B. (XLI/Buckley '21, Trinity), Taj G. (XLII/Brooklyn Friends), Alex T. (P9 XXXV/Exeter), Sorochi S. (XLII/Dalton) 

World of Flavor removes the stigma of  food insecurity and provides necessary food resources for more than one million food insecure New Yorkers. 

Angelina E. (P9 XXXV/Millbrook), Suleika S. (P9 XXXV/Choate), Anish S. (P9 XXXV/Exeter), Bianca P. (P9 XXXIII/Middlesex) 

GreenWave aims to spread knowledge and awareness about financial literacy through an informative website, community events, and school programs. 

Temilola K. (XLIII/VCS), Ethan W. (P9 XXXV/St. Andrew's), Aaron A. (XLI/Berkeley Carroll), Sebastian F-R. (XLI/Browning) 

Mind Mend addresses the lack of mental health resources with a platform that connects users and allows them to talk and share with each other in an effort to increase their mental health. The organization  also provides services to address chronic mental health issues. 

Joshua G. (P9 XXXIV/NMH), Nabil M. (XLI/Columbia Grammar & Preparatory School), Myca Bishop (P9 XXXIV/Andover), Viannelly L. (P9 XXXV/Cheshire) 

Lawful Witness provides marginalized communities with a free and accessible platform to elevate the way one documents and understands one’s rights during police engagements.

We congratulate all IFE participants for their innovation and leadership and thank the following individuals and organizations for sharing their time and resources.