Manhattan Beach Student is First-Place Winner in National YEA! Competition
Jun 20, 2023 03:48PM ● By Jeanne FratelloA Manhattan Beach teen has taken first place - and earned the title of America's Next Top Young Entrepreneur - at the at the Young Entrepreneurs Academy's (YEA!) 15th Annual Saunders Scholars National Competition.
Lila Mokhtari - who just finished her freshman year at Mira Costa High School - won the award with her soap business Maji. She takes home a $30,000 scholarship to the Rochester Institute of Technology, a full tuition scholarship to the Golisano Institute, and a $5,000 cash prize.
Mokhtari came in first place in the local competition back in April. Her company Maji, makes "motivational" soap products for kids.
(Maji means water in Swahili.) The clear soaps each have a collectible
toy inside, giving kids incentive to use the soap to get to the toy. (Motto: "Putting the Maji-c in Clean Care.")
"We at YEA! Manhattan Beach are elated at Lila's success," said Vesta Sung, YEA! program manager for Manhattan Beach. "Her poise and professional
answers to difficult judges' questions were particularly impressive. No
doubt Lila will be tremendously successful as she grows Maji."
In 2022, MBMS 6th grader Dallas Nurre placed third in the national competition and won a $20,000 scholarship to the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Competition Draws Students from Across the U.S.
The "Shark Tank"-style pitch competition begins in local chapters that choose one winner to go to the national competition. The top businesses then head to the semi-final and final rounds at the national competition. The national competition offers a total of $80,000 in cash prizes and college scholarships to the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology to the students with the best businesses.
This year, students representing 19 middle and high schools from 15 states across the country participated in the virtual competition.
The other top winners were Siddarth Nandyala with STEM IT from Frisco, Texas (2nd place and People's Choice award) and Noah Rozin with Ace of Ages from Staten Island, New York (3rd place).
“We could not be prouder of the work these young people are doing and of our partners who are leading the charge across the country delivering YEA!’s entrepreneurship education,” said YEA! founder and CEO Gayle Jagel in a statement. "Just imagine what our world would look like if every student got the chance to bring their ideas to life.”
YEA! Teaches Students to "Make A Job, Not Take A Job"
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a 501(c)3 program offering classes and workshops that teach middle and high school students how to start and run their own businesses. Throughout the program, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors for startup funds, and launch and run their own fully formed companies and social movements.
The Manhattan Beach Young Entrepreneurs Academy is sponsored by the Manhattan Beach
Chamber of Commerce. The chamber first started offering the YEA program in 2015, and has
graduated 135 students in nine classes.
Chamber of Commerce. The chamber first started offering the YEA program in 2015, and has
graduated 135 students in nine classes.
During the nine-month Manhattan Beach program, students meet for three hours once a
week after school to learn all the strategies for creating and starting their
own legal business. Students develop business ideas, write business
plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of
investors for startup funds, and launch and run their own fully formed
companies and social movements.
The program tuition is $895. Scholarships are provided by Manhattan Beach Rotary. Investors include Kinecta
Federal Credit Union, Manhattan Beach Toyota, and Manhattan Beach Rotary.
Sponsors who provided facilities and services include Kinecta, Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce, the city of
Manhattan Beach, MBUSD, Manhattan Repro, MB Postal, and Redondo MinuteMan Press.
Manhattan Beach's YEA! program has has 50+ volunteer professionals and organizations
that support the students (mentors, designers,
speakers, CEO panel, business plan reviewers, mock investors, investor
panelists, etc.) to help them acquire the tools they need to succeed.
Founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation, YEA! today serves thousands of students nationwide. In 2008, the Saunders Foundation became a national sponsor and partner of the Academy. According to its founders, YEA! strives to bridge the business and educational communities to fulfill its mission of teaching more students how to "make a job, not just take a job." For more information, visit yeausa.org.