JA teaches the world’s youngest entrepreneurs . . . and has for over 100 years. Our entrepreneurship programs teach students real-world business skills so they’ll be ready to create the jobs of the future. Through the JA Company Program—our flagship entrepreneurship program—students work with business-savvy volunteers to launch businesses that deliver innovative products and services. Student teams then participate in JA Company of the Year competitions at local, national, and multi-national levels, demonstrating their products and services in trade fairs and presenting their businesses on-stage to esteemed judges.

The De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award recognizes outstanding JA entrepreneurs. The first-place team from each of our six annual regional JA company competitions (also known as Company of the Year, Generation E, Young Entrepreneurs Competition, and FutureBound) are automatically entered as finalists for the award. The winning team receives awards, plus US $15,000, educational opportunities, and more.

Who Selects the Winner?

Each student company presents their business venture via video recording and a one-page executive summary, highlighting their creativity, problem-solving skills, and resilience. An exclusive jury composed of JA board members, staff, alumni, and partners from around the world reviewed each company’s submissions and scored each according to a detailed rubric to determine the winner.

De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award Winners

Winning the De La Vega can change the course of a young entrepreneur’s life. Read about the 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, and 2025 finalists and winners . . . and catch all the excitement of our global awards ceremony by watching the 2025 ceremony highlights at the end of this page.

In addition to winning first-place in their regional Company of the Year competitions, the De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award requires each of the six student companies to create promotional videos. Check out these videos from previous winners: