JA USA Celebrates Entrepreneurship with National Student Leadership Summit
June 16, 2023
Junior Achievement USA celebrated its 2023 National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS) and Company of the Year competition this week in Washington, D.C. Fifteen JA student companies from JA USA locations around the country came together to demonstrate their business acumen, creativity, and entrepreneurial thinking during three days of impactful JA experiences. Students showcased their companies to members of the United States Congress and US business leaders, and participated in workshops with signature award sponsors, including Delta, FedEx, and Mercedez-Benz.
Meet the JA Student Companies
JA of South Florida – 4Paws’ mission is to improve the health and life of pets and their owners by providing an essential product for a dog on-the-go. By bundling all necessary items pet owners need while walking their four-legged friends into a wearable bag; their product, the Paw Pouch, includes all the essentials for a fun day out with your dog.
JA of North Central Ohio– Battery Drop focuses on battery recycling as it is a huge issue in the world today as 3 billion batteries are thrown away each year by Americans alone. The goal of Battery Drop is to help educate people on healthy recycling habits while using these containers to do so.
JA North – CANVAWRAP makes beautiful, eco-friendly wrapping kits and gifts from upcycled materials, providing customers with a less wasteful alternative to traditional gifts. The CANVAWRAP team is passionate about protecting the Earth and will donate a portion of every sale towards green initiatives.
JA of Greater Miami – Charm Dept. is a student-owned company that produces and manufactures shoe charms utilizing 3-D printing to offer competitively priced school merchandise to students, faculty, alumni, and parents. The company's goal is to promote school spirit by leveraging technology to deliver better value.
JA of San Diego County – CocoLoco is a company created by 4 high school students with a passion for coconut products and a desire to make a difference and positive impact in the community and world. Their mission is to provide high-quality, eco-friendly coconut products and gifts while giving back to a great cause like the local non-profit charity, Cancer for College.
JA of North Central Ohio – Emocean is an interactive social-emotional learning board game designed to help children improve their mental health through social-emotional learning. The game encourages children to identify and express their emotions while developing coping skills, empathy, and problem-solving abilities.
JA of Southeast Texas – EVO created eunoia, a 50-count card deck and hand-made Relax Bracelet set, to promote a well-balanced lifestyle by assisting individuals in their self-care journey. The cards have detailed prompts focuses on practicing intentional self-care in the 5 dimensions of wellness. The bracelet acts as a physical reminder of the importance of practicing self-care each day.
JA of Greater St. Louis – LAF Lounge is a trendy apparel company aimed at increasing the school spirit of Lafayette High School by offering unique apparel while filling empty backpacks with non-perishable items for students in need.
JA of South Florida – ProFin Technologies is a student-led company focusing on providing protective solutions to financial theft and fraud through its diverse range of products packaged in a signature bundle. Additionally, PFT aims to educate the community on financial literacy and protection by developing specialized curricula and lessons.
JA of Southeast Texas – Simply Co.’s Pawzzle kit is a competitive game and educational resource all in one! The kit includes two puzzles featuring student-made designs of critically-endangered animals with gameplay options and a pamphlet linking players to educational resources. Simply Co.'s mission is to spread awareness on the devastating consequences of species extinction.
JA of Northern California – SqueaKey Klean developed a sustainable, portable, and multi-purpose cleaning tool for your everyday sanitization needs. Slap their product on your keychain and let SqueaKey Klean be your Key to Klean.
JA of Northern California – Talk Blox is a collaborative block-based game, where players are challenged to remove blocks from a 3x3 tower and can choose to answer or pass unique, fun questions and challenges. Answering these questions encourages players to get out of their comfort zone to further build stronger relationships and develop closer bonds with other players.
JA of Greater Boston – TriSense is a company dedicated to assisting those with intellectual and developmental disabilities, particularly in public settings. Through our sensory kits, we aim to create a more accessible and open world for all.
JA of Central Upstate New York – VenturePrize developed two products, the Greater Binghamton Puzzle features a collage of nine photographs of Binghamton businesses, scenery, and architecture including an aerial bird’s eye view of downtown Binghamton. Their second product is a pack of eight blank cards, each with a picture of local Binghamton
JA of Southeastern Pennsylvania – Youthful Thinkers researched, wrote, illustrated, and published a book for children addressing topics such as diversity, government, and the environment in support of their mission to kids an expanded worldview using stories and activities to encourage meaningful conversations. Each story includes related discussion topics and activities for young readers.
The Event
On Day 1, students settled in, networked, explored the nation’s capital, and socialized with peers after a kick-off address from JA USA CEO Jack Kosakowski. They gathered for the Delta Social Impact Seminar early on Day 2, followed by the FedEx Global Possibilities Seminar. Attendance at the two seminars is a prerequisite for the two signature awards. The Delta Social Impact Award is given to the student company that creates the best solution to address a local, national, or global social concern. The FedEx Global Possibilities award emphasizes the importance of global access in a world that’s more connected than ever. In 2007, FedEx became the founding sponsor with JA Worldwide to expand regional JA Company of the Year competitions around the world. The winners of the FedEx award demonstrate how their company is driven by innovation and how it’s connecting new markets, fueling community development, and addressing sustainability and social responsibility. Each year, this award incentivizes young entrepreneurs to seek higher achievement and recognition at regional JA competitions around the world by creating products and services that improve lives.
Following a lunch break, student companies set up booths at the Canon House Office Building on Capitol Hill for the JA Entrepreneurship Expo, a trade fair that allows them to present and discuss their businesses with competition judges and other guests. Students also had the opportunity to meet with their local representatives in the United States Congress. Day 3 started with a breakfast for students and JA USA Board members, followed by on-stage student company presentations, where they formally presented their businesses to the panel of judges. At the end of the day, after closed-door interviews with judges, students, and chaperones joined judges, stakeholders, and JA staff for the 2023 awards gala.
Meet the Winners
FedEx Global Possibilities Award: CocoLoco, JA of San Diego
Third place: 4Paws, JA of South Florida
Second place: Talk Blox, JA of Northern California
First place – JA USA Company of the Year: Youthful Thinkers, JA of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Youthful Thinkers will join JA Asia Pacific Company of the Year SIEVASCO to compete for the 2024 De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award competition.