Entrepreneurial Spirit on Display in Annual BMF Business Pitch Challenge
On April 10, Dr. Genevieve Floyd, Director of the Division of Career & Postsecondary Partnerships and Career Advising, welcomed 125 Business Management & Finance (BMF) students from nine high schools who cheered on and supported 25 team members who competed in the 2025 Business Pitch Challenge, an annual “Shark Tank-like" competition between entrepreneurship students. The winners are:
- First place ($500): Aleena Khan, Amy Li, Connor Bunting and Miles Hecklinger from Northwest High School for “Thoughtbox,” a stress-free gifting service with thoughtful personalization using AI that supports local artists. Teacher: Kristin Vick
- Second place ($300): Zyan Hawkins, Leule Lakew, Kaleb Theodores and Dominic LaCosta from Albert Einstein High School for “Retractable,” a professional sports ball that uses a boomerang system that easily comes back to the user at the push of a button. Teacher: Brenda Lopez
- Third place ($200): Jack Dawson, Dylan Dong and Ousmane Sarr from James Hubert Blake High School for “Nourish+,” a nutrition-focused company that empowers individuals on their fitness journeys through accessible, science-backed nutritional support. They also won the first-ever Student Choice Award. Teacher: Sandy Chaplin
“The Business Pitch Challenge proved just how innovative and capable our high school students are,” said Vernelle Shaw, Instructional Specialist, Division of Career & Postsecondary Partnerships and Career Advising and Program Manager for the Business Management & Finance Programs of Study. “Each team brought phenomenal ideas to the table, showing a level of creativity, confidence and entrepreneurial spirit well beyond their years. I'd like to thank the Entrepreneurship teachers for supporting the students throughout this process."
Teams began forming at the start of the second semester, competing at their schools before advancing to the county-level event. Students pitched solutions to real-world problems or proposed innovative products to a panel of local entrepreneur judges, including BMF Professional Advisory Committee (PAC) members Allen Cox and Jocelyn Parks, as well as Audrey Awasom, Founder & Chief Executive Officer of Luminary Branded Solutions, and Nadia Clute, Small Business Navigator, Montgomery County Business Center in the Office of the County Executive.
James Aryee, Senior Vice President with First National Bank and Principal of A.R. Consulting, LLC gave the keynote address, and Councilmember Laurie Anne Sayles shared words of encouragement with the students. Lunch was provided to all before the awards were announced, and the audience engaged by answering questions related to the presentations and entrepreneurship topics.
Other participating schools included Gaithersburg High School, Kennedy High School, Paint Branch High School and Montgomery Blair High School. Students from Sherwood High School and Northwood High School attended as audience members.
Hosted by the BMF PAC, the event supported business and finance programs across the county. “The challenge allows students to foster creativity and innovation, build business and financial literacy, improve communication and presentation skills, promote teamwork and collaboration, connect students with real-world mentors and feedback, encourage critical thinking and problem-solving and build confidence and career awareness,” Shaw said.
