A Baltimore student wins $ 1,500 for his business idea, ‘Story Crafters’
Our Bureau
Washington, DC
Global entrepreneurship education nonprofit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has announced Atman Patel’s business idea as the 1st ranked local student business while announcing the winners of its annual Capital Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. The young entrepreneurs including Atman Patel will present their innovative business ideas at the national finals in New York on October 10 to compete for the title of National Champion and cash prizes.
Atman Patel, a student from Francis Scott Key Elementary/ Middle School in Baltimore the winner and the 1st Place holder was selected for his business idea Story Crafters, which makes custom digital books about the customer, aiming to ignite a love of reading in all children. The awards category included a cash prize for the first-place winner to receive $1,500, a second-place winner to receive $1,000, and two runners up to each receive $250.
The students presented their original business concepts in a Shark Tank-style pitch competition to a panel of esteemed judges, including NFTE alumna Jan Baker, Experience and Service Designer at the Innovashion Group; Anthony Calderazzi, Assurance Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY US); Andrew J. Sherman, Partner at Brown Rudnick Inc; Danielle Vogel, Assistant Director of the Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship at American University; and Tim Wills, Principal, Wills Companies.
“I was blown away by the caliber of student finalists this year. They are a true testament to the power of NFTE programs,” said Meg Stewart, NFTE Capital Region Executive Director.
The NFTE Capital Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge was presented by EY US and American University’s Veloric Center for Entrepreneurship, with signature support from Shopify and associate support from the Citi Foundation, PayPal, the Benjamin B. Wills III Charitable Foundation, and Santander.
