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October 15, 2020 - 3:57pm | By Chris Larson
Teens from around the country will compete at the virtual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Saunders Scholars Competition on Saturday, October 17. The entrepreneurship pitch competition is set to award over $80,000 in cash prizes and college scholarships to the Saunders College of Business at Rochester Institute of Technology to the students with the best business pitches. Sheyenne High School’s Ameera Gaal is one of 36 semifinalists representing 35 middle and high schools from 20 states across the country.
Students enrolled in the YEA! program first competed locally in front of an investor panel in early 2020. The top business from each YEA! chapter across the country will now compete in semifinal and final rounds at the Saunders Scholars National Competition scheduled for 11:00AM – 7:00PM on Saturday.
Gaal placed first at the state level competition with her start-up business Enhance Your Beauty. She participated in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy nine-month youth entrepreneurship program offered by the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce. With the help of local entrepreneurs and business leaders, she designed, pitched, and launched Enhance Your Beauty, which makes unique and creative custom-made magnetic accessories for hijabs.
“YEA! has changed me in so many ways in just a year; whether it’s helping me stand a little taller, talk a little clearer, or speak a little louder. They helped me gain my confidence and made me realize that I can change the world for the better with my passion, dreams, and hard work. They made me realize that I could leave my stamp on the world,” shared Gaal.
Gaal will be pitching Enhance Your Beauty during the event’s first panel, which is scheduled to stream between 11:00AM – 12:30PM on the YEA! YouTube channel. Local viewers are invited to watch Gaal’s pitch and to vote for the People’s Choice Award. Viewers must register in advance if they wish to participate in the text-to-vote option for the award.
