2022 JA Company of the Year Competition

 

Author: JA of Greater Washington
Entrepreneurship
Published: Wednesday, 23 Mar 2022

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Image caption: Students collaborate and plan before their pitch presentation

Several young entrepreneurs from around the region competed this weekend at the JA Company of the Year Competition, the annual regional event for all JA student companies in the Greater Washington region.

The competition is designed to put the student startups to the test as they share their business performance and overall experience in numerous formats, including a formal pitch to a panel of local business leaders. The winning team earns the distinguished title of JA Company of the Year.

The event was part of the 2021-2022 JA Company Program®, an intensive, 6-month experience that offers high schoolers the chance to put their ideas into action by launching and running a real startup under the guidance of business professionals.

Parents, volunteers, partners and friends of Junior Achievement tuned in to the live Pitch Presentations and Awards Ceremony online via the Junior Achievement of Greater Washington Facebook page. The finale event on March 19, 2022 reached over 800 viewers.

The JA Company Program is supported by hundreds of volunteers from the community who spent innumerable hours mentoring, coaching, and providing feedback to the companies. A full list of volunteers can be found in the event program.

The six startups competing in the competition included:

• Amity

• Conscious Coasters

• Iris

• Plush Paradise

• Ukiyo

• Wellness is Key

The student companies are invited to take the next step in their entrepreneurial journey by applying for Junior Achievement’s 2022 National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS) in June. NSLS is the pinnacle event that brings JA student companies from all over the U.S. together virtually for three days of high-impact experiences.

Image caption: Company of the Year: Amity

Competition Results

Company Awards

The teams’ overall business performance was evaluated in the following areas: Company Report (30%), Commercial (10%), Interview (30%) and Pitch (30%).

Congratulations, Winners!

Image caption: Second Place: IRIS

Thank you, Judges!

• Shellie McKinney, Founder, MOMNetwork, LLC

• Joe Sallette, Senior Technical Product Manager for Financial Technology, Nike, Inc.

• Aisha Dubose Campbell, Director of Resident Services and Family Programs, The Children’s Inn at NIH

Image caption: Third Place: Conscious Coasters

Individual Achievement Awards

Individual Achievement Awards were presented to company leaders who consistently supported the development of innovative strategies, successfully saw all tasks through to their completion, welcomed their team’s ideas and contributions, and gained the respect of others.

Congratulations, Winners!

• Rookie of the Year: Zachary Park, Plush Paradise

• Alum of the Year: Sravani Mannava, Amity

• Finance Director of the Year: Brandon Nesbit, IRIS 

• Marketing Director of the Year: Aadya Nair, IRIS

• Sales Director of the Year: Anthony Giordano, IRIS

• Supply Chain Director of the Year: Avery Kaplan, IRIS

• CEO of the Year: Sravani Mannava, Amity

• COO of the Year: Rose Chen, Amity

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