Our partners in Diamond Challenge Pakistan hosted their preliminary rounds at the Girls High School “Hala” in February. Nine teams from 9th and 10th grades competed.The top 4 teams then presented their concepts to Mr. Javed Hussain, Executive Director of the Sindh Community Foundation. His feedback was very positive for all teams and he quickly recognized that the issues of a lack of computers and technology available to the students as well as the limited entrepreneurship education for female high school students in Pakistan was indeed a problem and that the Diamond Challenge was helpful in addressing this.
Even through these obstacles, a team comprised of Aliza, Konain, and Sidra, all in the 9th grade, placed first in the preliminary round. We are so excited to have the opportunity to meet them soon here in Delaware and learn more about their business concept and their lives in Pakistan.
No matter where our Diamond Challenge alumni go, we are constantly amazed by how they continue to make an impact on the world for the better.
Would you like to be featured in our next highlight? Click here.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
Follow Horn Entrepreneurship @udhorn and check out our entrepreneurship competition for high school students @diamondchalleng.
Miracle Olatunji, Diamond Challenge alumna and ambassador, was invited to share her story on The Delaware Way news show. We’re so flattered to be a large part of her journey but even more proud of the amazing choices she has made all on her own to pursue her venture. She has been persistent and has leveraged her means to build an incredible network. Now she’s the one facilitating introductions for our team. Way to go Miracle!
Interested to get involved in the Diamond Challenge? The best way to stay informed on all news about the competition season is through our newsletter (sign up below!) and on social media!
No matter where our Diamond Challenge alumni go, we are constantly amazed by how they continue to make an impact on the world for the better.
Would you like to be featured in our next highlight? Click here.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
Follow Horn Entrepreneurship @udhorn and check out our entrepreneurship competition for high school students @diamondchalleng.
Valentina Maza and Tatiana Romero are students at William Penn High School in New Castle, Delaware. The pair participated in the 2018 Diamond Challenge with their concept ETI, Education in Times of Immigration, a venture that aims to provide Spanish-speaking students coming to the United States as teens with resources such as English language lessons and cultural assimilation. The pair were one of 55 teams out of 700+ submissions to make the semifinal round and received $2,000 in total funding along with the opportunity to connect with young entrepreneurs and mentors from around the world.
“We are solving the problems of language, new culture, separation, and documentation,” said Valentina. “We identified this issue as we are our own prototype, we faced these same issues when we first came to the United States. I am the only Venezuelan in my school, and these barriers create obstacles to success.” The point was echoed by Tatiana: “Speaking the language is the first step in communicating with your teacher, we want to empower the students to have the opportunity to raise their voice and participate in their own success in the United States.”
Valentina and Tatiana first pitched ETI at the 2018 Diamond Challenge Dover pitch site in March. The pair moved onto the semifinals of the competition at The Summit. Though ETI did not make the finals, the promise of the venture and the passion of the founders was evident. “Because of the Diamond Challenge, we had the opportunity of speaking to the Delaware Spanish Commission about the problem and we also met with the Department of Education,” said Valentina. “The Diamond Challenge has been a life changing opportunity and it was an honor to participate and become a semi-finalist.”
“I never imagined I would be able to participate in something as amazing as the Diamond Challenge,” said Tatiana. “I could not speak English and doing this now for my community is a dream come true.”
No matter where our Diamond Challenge alumni go, we are constantly amazed by how they continue to make an impact on the world for the better.
Would you like to be featured in our next highlight? Click here.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurship serves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
Follow Horn Entrepreneurship @udhorn and check out our entrepreneurship competition for high school students @diamondchalleng.
We love a good success story. In celebration of young entrepreneurs, we’ve regularly shared incredible startup stories on Facebook and Instagram. Here’s a roundup of four of the most impressive people in business. Oh, and did we mention that none of them have graduated high school yet?
ASIA NEWSON
Asia Newson is a 13-year-old entrepreneur from Detroit. She started her own business, Super Business Girl, selling candles and merchandise online. She’s been recognized and awarded by several organizations, including Grio’s Top 100 List. Asia is often featured in media, including the Ellen Degeneres Show, America’s Got Talent, MSNBC, 20/20, and ABC News. The most impressive part about Asia’s story is her persistent desire to serve her community. According to Forbes, Asia has trained 40 other kids in the Detroit area to be entrepreneurs. Her mission is “to recognize the true potential in every child and to develop intrinsic security that makes optimum use of their individualized talent.”
MATT BILLINGTON
17-Year-Old Matt Billington, from New Zealand, is the CEO of Olelei, an almond ice cream brand. Billington and two other students created the business concept for a group project, and then entered the Young Enterprise Awards. Olelei ended up winning second place, and grew exponentially from there. After winning several other awards, they placed their product in a grocery store that spans across the region. Billington conducted market research to seize an opportunity in the frozen dessert industry. His strategic vision for the company is impressive, to say the least. Learn more about Olelei here.
ZANDRA CUNNINGHAM
Zandra Cunningham is the founder of self-named Zandra, a line of luxurious, natural skin care products. The 16-year-old from Buffalo, New York has been fascinated with entrepreneurship since she was nine. She sold her first products in 2009 at local farmers markets, and has exploded since then. Zandra is determined to empower women through her successful business. She is also now a motivational speaker and philanthropist. “I believe that young ladies should be confident in their own skin and learn what beauty is from the inside out. My hope is to inspire youth to take action and make things happen for themselves and their communities.”
CORY NIEVES
“Mr.” Cory Nieves, as he is known in business, is the CEO of Mr. Cory’s Cookies, a New Jersey business that has developed a loyal following. The 10 year-old founded the homemade cookie startup in 2011 after he moved to New Jersey from the Bronx. According to CBS News, Corey’s business grew so substantially since it’s beginning that he had to leave his home kitchen to find a commercial baking space. The company sells about 1,000 cookies in a single weekend, at $1 each. When asked the secret to his famous cookies, he says, “it’s made with love. And they’re all-natural. And no preservatives.” Corey already has the mindset of a successful CEO, and the company is only expected to grow in the future.
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One goal of the Diamond Challenge is to encourage the integration of entrepreneurship into high school classrooms. We are happy to hear that the Fontbonne Hall Academy (FHA) of Brooklyn, New York is doing exactly this. FHA aims to ‘inspire young women to be leaders of tomorrow’. The school offers a diverse curriculum that fosters innovation, leadership, and development of an entrepreneurial mindset. The mission of the Diamond Challenge aligns closely with the objectives of the school’s introductory entrepreneurship course, which states that it is, “designed to introduce students to the different types of entrepreneurship that exist, and the excitement and challenges of building your own business.”
Two FHA teams emerged to participate in the Diamond Challenge 2017.The teams learned about the Diamond Challenge from their teacher, who encouraged participation among students in the class. One team is led by Elina Vipul, with her team members Keara Donahue, Alyssa Amendolia and Alyssa Federico. The second team leader is Victoria Marsillo, accompanied by Samantha Marletta and Jessica Reilly. Both teams have presented their ideas to the entire class, and are currently planning their marketing and pricing strategies. The teams are both working diligently to create viable products and services, and hope to be recognized for their creative concepts. We’re looking forward to seeing the pitches from the Fontbonne Hall Academy teams and commend the school for being a model of successful integration of entrepreneurship into high school classrooms!
The Diamond Challenge is part of the Paul and Linda McConnell Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative.
No matter where our Diamond Challenge alumni go, we are constantly amazed by how they continue to make an impact on the world for the better.
Would you like to be featured in our next highlight?Click here.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurshipserves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
Follow Horn Entrepreneurship @udhorn and check out our entrepreneurship competition for high school students @diamondchalleng.
17 students from all over the world join this year’s lineup
The Diamond Challenge team is excited to introduce the 2017 Diamond Challenge Student Ambassador team! These students were carefully selected for their work ethic, leadership skills and, of course, their entrepreneurial spirit. The Ambassadors are a team of 17 dedicated students located across five different countries and will be promoting the Diamond Challenge throughout their communities and answering questions that newcomers to the community might have. We are so proud to have them on our team!
This year, we are happy to welcome back:
Sriram Hathwar
Shreyas Parab
And we are excited to have the following join our team:
No matter where our Diamond Challenge alumni go, we are constantly amazed by how they continue to make an impact on the world for the better.
Would you like to be featured in our next highlight?Click here.
About Horn Entrepreneurship
Horn Entrepreneurshipserves as the University of Delaware’s creative engine for entrepreneurship education and advancement. Built and actively supported by successful entrepreneurs and thought leaders, Horn Entrepreneurship empowers aspiring innovators and entrepreneurs as they pursue new ideas for a better world.
Follow Horn Entrepreneurship @udhorn and check out our entrepreneurship competition for high school students @diamondchalleng.
