LA teens leverage tech for innovative business pitches

The Los Angeles County school system is fostering youth entrepreneurship through an innovative after-school program that combines technology education with business development skills.

Program overview: The Young Innovators Accelerator Pitch Competition culminated last week, showcasing business plans developed by students at six Best Buy Teen Tech Centers across Los Angeles County.

• Over 60 high school students participated in the after-school program, with twelve advancing to the final pitch competition
• The program operates in under-resourced neighborhoods through partnerships with nonprofits
• Funding comes from multiple sources including the Best Buy Foundation, Annenberg Foundation, and the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation (GLAEF)

Educational approach: The initiative combines practical business skills with hands-on technology experience to prepare students for future careers.

• Students learn essential business planning skills including budgeting and presentation design
• The Los Angeles Economic Equity Accelerator and Fellowship provides curriculum and training
• Young, dynamic trainers work directly with students to teach entrepreneurship fundamentals

Technology-focused innovations: Student pitches demonstrated a strong emphasis on leveraging technology to solve real-world problems.

• The winning project, ByteAi, uses artificial intelligence to break down complex classroom subjects into manageable lessons
• Other tech-based proposals included a mental health social app, a smart camera system, and a healthy food finder application
• The competition featured non-tech solutions as well, including a community market employment program for homeless individuals

Competition outcomes: The pitch competition awarded significant prizes to recognize student achievement and support further development of their business concepts.

• Gabriel Cardenas, a 14-year-old freshman, won first place and $1,400 for ByteAi
• Second place and $1,000 went to Tristen Trudgeon for the BeSeen mental health app
• A team of seven students secured third place and $600 for their community market concept
• Three additional semi-finalists each received $150

Looking ahead: The program’s success in combining technology education with entrepreneurship skills suggests a promising model for youth business development in under-resourced communities, with organizers hoping to continue the competition annually while potentially expanding its reach to impact more students.