AnnenbergTech in collaboration with Annenberg Learner and in partnership with Greater LA Education Foundation and Best Buy Foundation, hosted the second annual Young Innovators Accelerator (YIA) pitch competition at the Spotify Mateo Campus in Downtown Los Angeles.
The competition marked a milestone of the program designed to help youth develop an entrepreneurial mindset through intensive training on business fundamentals throughout the Fall.
During their training, high school students from the Best Buy Teen Tech centers located across Los Angeles County during developed business plans addressing pressing community challenges. To recognize the group for their eight weeks of preparation, each finalist student received a scholarship stipend of $300 or more towards college expenses! The top three winners were announced at the end of the celebration and received a bonus stipend.
Six groups of powerhouse teens were then spotlighted and invited to compete for a grand prize scholarship. These finalists pitched their start-up ideas LIVE to a panel of guest judges, including: Olivia Jefferson, Vice President of Best Buy Social Impact, David Ochi, Executive Director of Innovation Incubator at Cal State Dominguez Hills, Jessica Salinas, Chief Investment Officer at New Media Ventures, and David Sanford, Managing Partner at Tempest Capital Management.
Meet the winners of the competition:
- 1st Place $1,400 – ByteAI from Long Beach Teen Tech Center – an artificial intelligence platform designed to personalize learning experiences for high school and college students.
- 2nd Place $1,000 – BeSeen from North Valley Caring Services – a peer-to-peer mental health social application for schools.
- 3rd Place $600 – Opportunity Oasis from VSEDC in South L.A. – a community marketplace concept combining homelessness services, affordable fresh food access with job training.
Our other finalists included Visionary Frames from Antelope Valley BGC, presenting a smart-connected camera with interchangeable lenses; Little Sunshine from Bresee Foundation, proposing an affordable daycare solution for working mothers; and Bvlk vs. Cvt from Legacy LA, offering a platform connecting communities to affordable healthy food options.
Learn more about AnnenbergTech’s partnership with the Best Buy Teen Tech Centers →
Read more and watch the full event in the links below!
- GovTech – L.A. County Teens Use Tech to Pitch Business Plans
- San Fernando Sun – Teens from Across LA County Compete in ‘Young Innovators’ Tech Contest
