From fire-prevention tech to community service platforms, entrepreneurs - as young as four years of age - impressed at this year’s NYEC finals.
On May 30, 2025, the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge (NYEC) brought together some of the brightest young minds to pitch original business ideas designed to solve real-world problems. Hosted virtually, the event welcomed finalists from SLI The Sidney Ledson School and Mensa Youth, with participants ranging from Kindergarten to Grade 6.
Created to promote early entrepreneurial thinking, real-world problem-solving, and presentation skills, the NYEC challenged students to develop and pitch fully formed business concepts to a panel of experienced judges. Each finalist was evaluated on innovation, financial planning, presentation delivery, and the potential impact of their idea.
A Distinguished Panel of Judges
The 2025 challenge was evaluated by two accomplished professionals:\
- Karen Lau, a respected strategist and longtime mentor in youth entrepreneurship programs, brought a sharp lens to each pitch, asking insightful questions around customer targeting, product testing, and long-term sustainability.
- Christina Mattina, founder of Sugar and Spice Kids Spa & Party in Ancaster, Ontario, added a valuable business-owner perspective, grounded in hands-on experience with branding, consulting, and mentoring young adults in the service industry.
Standout Ideas and Finalist Highlights
Finalists across both organizations offered a wide range of ideas rooted in practicality, innovation, and empathy. Highlights included:
- Rasa (SLI The Sidney Ledson School) – Healthy Smoothies: A fresh, dairy- and sugar-free smoothie stand featuring health-conscious flavors like strawberry lemonade and mango vanilla, aimed at kids and families alike. Raza was named the Kindergarten Category Winner.
- Sophia (SLI The Sidney Ledson School) – My Own Bottle: A customizable water bottle business that lets customers choose colors, styles, and names to help prevent mix-ups. Sophia won the Grades 1–2 Category for her thoughtful pitch and clear presentation.
- Nicholas (Mensa Youth) – Neighborhood Hero: A digital marketplace connecting community members in need of services with local helpers. Nicholas's platform allows users to request assistance and enables credentialed “heroes” to respond. He was named the Grades 3–4 Category Winner.
- Maya (SLI The Sidney Ledson School) – Smart Stove: An AI-powered fire prevention device that detects stove-related fires, triggers alerts, and automatically deploys a fire suppressant. Inspired by her family’s real-life experience with a house fire, Maya’s innovation earned her the Grades 5–6 Category Win as well as the Community Choice Award, voted by attendees.
Other memorable pitches included:
- Samira (SLI The Sidney Ledson School) – Crazy Crate: An eco-friendly, roll-up crayon alternative with a twistable design and color-changing effects.
- Annie (Mensa Youth) – ACT: Annie’s Custom Tattoos: A water-based, personalized temporary tattoo service for parties and events.
- Arielle & Aathieya (SLI The Sidney Ledson School) – BFF's Ice Cream: A home-based ice cream stand featuring six flavors, five toppings, and a hidden surprise toy inside the cone to delight younger customers.
- Ram (Mensa Youth) – Hack Stack: A kid-friendly online coding platform with affordable subscription options, gamified lessons, and plans to rival Code.org and Khan Academy.
Each pitch demonstrated exceptional effort and attention to detail—from marketing plans and price modeling to product testing and branding.
Recognition and Next Steps
Winners from each category will be featured in the upcoming Winner Magazine: Brilliant Youth Edition, a digital editorial series dedicated to showcasing the next generation of business leaders. All finalists will also receive Certificates of Distinction in recognition of their creativity, commitment, and presentation excellence.
The event began with a message from 2024 winner Lucas, who returned to share the continued success of his business Fizzy Bubbles—a soda stream solution launched after last year’s NYEC. Now a profitable venture, Lucas’s story served as a powerful reminder that with support and follow-through, these student projects can become real businesses.
An Event of Purpose and Potential
The 2025 National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge gave young students a platform to share thoughtful, well-developed business ideas that reflected both creativity and real-world awareness. From community service apps to fire safety technology and personalized consumer products, the range and depth of ideas were a testament to how capable and engaged these students are when given the opportunity to think like entrepreneurs.
Whether they left with a trophy or a certificate, every participant brought something meaningful to the table—and their presentations served as a strong reminder that age is no barrier to innovation.
BNS News is proud to support initiatives like the NYEC that encourage young people to think critically, act ethically, and explore entrepreneurship as a force for positive impact. The event aligns closely with our mission to highlight talent, recognize potential, and amplify voices shaping the future.