YEA! Participants Receive Funding, One Local Student Heads to National Scholarship Competition

Ten high school students from Township High School District 211 pitched their business ideas before a panel of seven real-life investors to compete for funding at the First Annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)

Ben Kusswurn, a junior at James B. Conant High School, was chosen to compete in the national Saunders Scholars Competition, vying for a $30,000 scholarship. He developed a security app for smart phone users.

The Investor Panel Presentation Event was held at The Cotillion Banquets. The students presented before representatives from area companies as well as an audience filled with family, friends and members of the community, for the opportunity to gain funding for their original ideas- that could be the next big thing! 

About 60 people attended the event, held on March 21, at Cotillion Banquets in Palatine. This year’s YEA! class is comprised of public and private schooled students from Palatine High School, William Fremd High School, James B.Conant High School and St. Viator. The Investor Panel Event is one of the program’s three “big events” that take place over the duration of the nine-month program.

The Investor Panel donated monetary contributions and in-kind donations, as well as their support and encouragement in their belief that they too can make a job-not take a job-at any age!

The investor panel consisted of the following business professionals:

• BIK & Co, LLP, Jennifer Grealish
• Castle Chiropractic, Dr. Paul Castle
• Guidant Wealth Advisors, Frank Patzke
• Lavelle Law, Ltd., Kerry Lavelle
• MB Financial, Vera Fitzgerald
• Moats Office Properties, Larry Moats
• Palatine Bank & Trust, Deb Armstrong

The funds were divided and allocated to the businesses that the investors felt had a well thought out plan, and an idea that had a good chance at success. 

The investments were as follows:

• Beneficial Industries, creation of a security app for smart phone users that would replace your plastic ID, received $1,000. Owner Kusswurm is a junior at James B. Conant High School.
• MiNetwork, an online auction site developed for college campuses, received $910. CEO Joseph Dahm is a senior at James B. Conant High School
• Rize Industries, a manufacturer of longboards, received $715. CEO, Denzel Ray is a junior at Palatine High School
• Foldem’ Buds, a set of magnet detangled ear buds, received $715. CEO Ryan Chang is a sophomore at William Fremd High School
• Insta-Tuition, a tutoring website, received $665 from the investor panel. Co-CEO’s Vinutha Lakshminarayanan and Shivam Malik are both seniors at James B. Conant High School.
• Genuine Arts, an online site that sells art and jewelry, received $590 and was designed by Palatine High School senior Megan Stella.
• Plan N’ Go, a concierge service, received $540 and was created by William Fremd sophomore Zoe Ivanov.
• Bungee Belts, fashionable belts made out of bungee material, received $465 and was developed by Connor Curran a junior at St. Viator and Yash Syal a sophomore at Palatine High School.

At the end of the evening, Mindy Phillips, director of the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce, announced that Kusswurm had been selected for an all-expense paid trip to Rochester, NY on April 24-27 to compete in the national Saunders Scholars Competition, vying for a $30,000 scholarship. Kusswurm will give the exact same presentation, describing the security app he is having developed for smartphones.

Students will now begin marketing and selling their products and services, and preparing for an upcoming YEA! Trade Show to showcase their goods to the general public.

Information provided by the Palatine Area Chamber of Commerce.