Announcements
May 2013
New Bedford High School Sophomore Georgia Kyriakidis wins NFTE New England Regional Business Plan Competition at
Babson College! Georgia won the $1,000 First Prize and will compete nationally in NFTE's National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in New York City on October 3, 2013. Georgia's business idea was the "Eco-Card". The Eco-Card will replace all paper receipts and organize all of your purchases in one location with one swipe at check out.
Georgia Kyriakidis was also named Ernst & Young's Entrepreneur of the Year Young Scholar! Georgia will be presented with her award (another $1,000!) at the Ernst & Young New England Entrepreneur of the Year Gala on Wednesday, June 26 at the Renaissance Waterfront Hotel in Boston. The local New Bedford Standard Times interviewed this young entrepreneur. Read "Student plan to organize receipts sends her to national business competition" below.
Sophomore's plan to organize receipts sends her to national business competition
By Natalie Sherman
[email protected]
June 15, 2013 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — A city sophomore is off to a national business competition thanks to an idea that started while she watched her mother fumble through her purse to find receipts.
"She had to sit there and rummage through and find that one receipt that she needed, so I came up with this product to help people
organize their shopping expenditures and help reduce the amount of paper that's being wasted," said New Bedford High School sophomore Georgia Kyriakidis, 16, who will present her idea for an "Eco-Card" at the 2013 Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in New York in October.
The "Eco-Card" would allow customers to log and organize their purchases with a single swipe, said Kyriakidis, who developed the idea into a 10-page business plan and Powerpoint presentation as part of her "Entrepreneurship" class this semester.
The class, which started as a summer program 10 years ago, enrolls 60-100 students each year, most of them juniors or seniors, said Education& Industry Coordinating Council Facilitator Jane Jacobsen.
This year, it sent three teams to the regional championships at Babson College in May, where Kyriakidis was named the
Massachusetts winner out of 38 businesses.
"What stood out about her idea was just that thinking," said teacher Ken Gouveia, who said he was impressed enough to give Kyriakidis a nudge when it looked like her business plan might not be completed on time. "I said 'You've got to get this done' and luckily we were able to squeeze her in."
Kyriakidis is the second student in four years to head to the nationals from the New Bedford High School "Entrepreneurship" class. The previous local winner, Scott Paiva, eventually won third place and a trip to the White House.
Kyriakidis, who could take home $25,000 at the national championship, said she plans to save the $2,000 she has won so far to pay for college.
"Being a sophomore and getting this far, it's exciting," said Kyrakidis, whose family owns New Bedford House of Pizza in the South End and who is thinking about applying to business or law school. "It kind of makes me wonder what I can accomplish these next two years."
By Natalie Sherman
[email protected]
June 15, 2013 12:00 AM
NEW BEDFORD — A city sophomore is off to a national business competition thanks to an idea that started while she watched her mother fumble through her purse to find receipts.
"She had to sit there and rummage through and find that one receipt that she needed, so I came up with this product to help people
organize their shopping expenditures and help reduce the amount of paper that's being wasted," said New Bedford High School sophomore Georgia Kyriakidis, 16, who will present her idea for an "Eco-Card" at the 2013 Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in New York in October.
The "Eco-Card" would allow customers to log and organize their purchases with a single swipe, said Kyriakidis, who developed the idea into a 10-page business plan and Powerpoint presentation as part of her "Entrepreneurship" class this semester.
The class, which started as a summer program 10 years ago, enrolls 60-100 students each year, most of them juniors or seniors, said Education& Industry Coordinating Council Facilitator Jane Jacobsen.
This year, it sent three teams to the regional championships at Babson College in May, where Kyriakidis was named the
Massachusetts winner out of 38 businesses.
"What stood out about her idea was just that thinking," said teacher Ken Gouveia, who said he was impressed enough to give Kyriakidis a nudge when it looked like her business plan might not be completed on time. "I said 'You've got to get this done' and luckily we were able to squeeze her in."
Kyriakidis is the second student in four years to head to the nationals from the New Bedford High School "Entrepreneurship" class. The previous local winner, Scott Paiva, eventually won third place and a trip to the White House.
Kyriakidis, who could take home $25,000 at the national championship, said she plans to save the $2,000 she has won so far to pay for college.
"Being a sophomore and getting this far, it's exciting," said Kyrakidis, whose family owns New Bedford House of Pizza in the South End and who is thinking about applying to business or law school. "It kind of makes me wonder what I can accomplish these next two years."
2009
New Bedford High School Entrepreneur student, Scott Paiva, won the New Bedford High School competition as well
as the New England Regional Competition before qualifying for the Nationals! He went on to place third nationally in the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition in New York City. As a result, Scott met with President Obama, in the Oval Office.
New Bedford High School Entrepreneur student, Scott Paiva, won the New Bedford High School competition as well
as the New England Regional Competition before qualifying for the Nationals! He went on to place third nationally in the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition in New York City. As a result, Scott met with President Obama, in the Oval Office.