Junior Achievement USA Holds First In-Person Regional Company of the Year Since 2019
June 23, 2022
Junior Achievement USA held its National Student Leadership Summit (NSLS) this week, the first regional Company of the Year competition of 2022, and JA USA’s first in-person regional Company of the Year event since 2019. In addition to the fifteen student company teams from ten U.S. locations participated in the FedEx Global Possibilities Seminar and the Delta Social Impact Seminar, prerequisites for the signature awards of the same names.
In 2007, FedEx became the founding sponsor with JA Worldwide to expand regional JA Company of the Year competitions around the world. FedEx has continued its support annually through sponsorship of the signature FedEx Global Possibilities Award, which honors the JA student businesses that best exhibit the principles of global connectivity—driven by innovation, connecting to new markets, fueling community development, and sustainable and social responsibility. Each year this award incentivizes young JA entrepreneurs to seek higher achievement and recognition at regional JA competitions around the world by creating products and services that improve lives.
Meet the Teams
JA of Greater Washington – Amity is a startup company for women by women, providing self-care packages to empower women and support them in their future endeavors.
JA of Northern New England – Botl+ is an aluminum, dishwasher-safe water bottle with a detachable wireless and USB portable charger at the base. The bottle facilitates hydration while keeping devices powered up.
JA of North Central Ohio – Brain Wave’s mission is to help keep the mind sharp by improving logic skills, memory, and creativity through fun, cognitive exercises in the form of a 90-page activity book.
JA of San Diego – Charcute eliminates the stress of hosting a party by providing customers a variety of different themed candy and dessert boards, which also use 100%-natural, zero-waste sustainable palm leaf boards.
JA of Southeast Texas – Dulicious Co.’s casECO is a 100% biodegradable phone case created through organically sourced, natural wheat straw, making it compostable at the end of its lifecycle.
JA of South Florida – Ecossentials’s Daily Essentials Pouch provides individuals a convenient way to improve their self-care while drastically benefitting the global environment with minimal effort.
JA of Northern California – Embracelet creates stress relief fidget bracelets, utilizing a push-and-pull mechanism within the beads to act as a fidget, aiming to relieve stress or anxiety for its user.
JA of Southeast Texas – EVO created Let’s Keep Talking, a card game and bracelert set to facilitate simple, easy, and comfortable conversations in daily life, and to deepen human bodning and connectivity.
JA of Greater St. Louis – Gateway Clothing Co. sells comfortable apparel to Rockwood Summit High students and the surrounding community, contributing a portion of sales to Gateway 180.
JA of North Central Ohio – InnoVistics seeks to make speech stress-free with its Watch Your Mouth! Speaking Game, which includes a game spinner, 52 prompt cards, and three educational pamphlets.
JA of Greater Washington – Iris strives to empower local student artists by providing them with a platform to showcase their artwork and create their own brand.
JA of Chicago – On the Money Magazine (OTM) is a publication by teens, for teens that aims to increase teen financial literacy and capability with educational resources, community outreach, and student-written pieces.
JA of Southeastern Pennsylvania – Relaxivibe’s Fidgelet is a fashionable yet discreet coping mechanism for people to manage stress and increase focus with multiple sensory experiences.
JA of North Central Ohio – Sababa is on a mission to make self-care easy and affordable through an experiential subscription box.
JA of Northern New England –TriSense’s sensory kits create a more accessible and open world for all by assisting those with intellectual and developmental disabilities in public settings.
Three Days of Excitement
Day 1 kicked off with a networking event. Students from around the country mixed and mingled through activities like rock-paper-scissors and icebreaker bingo. Afterward, students shared ice cream sundaes, played board games, and got to know each other further in a student social.
Day 2 started with the Delta Social Impact Seminar, hosted by Ekrem Dimbiloglu, Managing Director, Brand Experience DeltaStudio & WiFi, Delta Airlines, a prerequisite for student companies vying for the Delta Social Impact Award, one of three signature awards at the NSLS. Next, students participated in the FedEx Global Possibilities seminar with Janna Hughes, Corporate Social Responsibility Strategist at FedEx. The third day wrapped with the student expo, where students hosted judges and visitors at their booths to present their companies at a trade-show-style exhibition.
On Day 3, each of the fifteen student teams presented their companies to the judges. JA USA made each presentation available via livestream on Facebook, so supporters could watch from anywhere in the world.
Watch part one and part two of the presentations on Facebook or below.
JA USA held the awards gala ceremony that evening overlooking the U.S. Capitol. Watch it below or on Facebook.
Awards
The Jim Sweeny Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence recognizes and encourages the entrepreneurial education and activities of one JA student.
Winner: Kayla Bigelman from Ecossentials, JA of South Florida
The ICE NYSE Best Financial Performance Award recognizes the JA student company that best encompasses several aspects of financial responsibility.
Winner: Ecossentials, JA of South Florida
The Delta Social Impact Award recognizes the JA student company that provides the best solution to a local, national, or global social issue.
Winner: Dulicious Co., JA of Southeast Texas
The FedEx Global Possibilities Award recognizes the JA student company that best exhibits the principles of global connectivity.
Winner: Ecossentials, JA of South Florida
Third place: Relaxivibe, JA of Southeastern Pennsylvania
Second place: EVO, JA of Southeast Texas
First place, Company of the Year: Brainwave, JA of North Central Ohio
As the first-place winner, Brainwaves will be automatically entered to compete in 2023 for the De La Vega Global Entrepreneurship Award, the global Company of the Year competition for the winners from all six JA regions.