The Plainview-Old Bethpage JFK High School business teams placed second and third in the Nassau County’s annual Comptroller’s Entrepreneurial Challenge. They competed against two hundred business students from high schools across Nassau County for scholarships and cash awards from various sponsors.
On April 9, at the Theodore Roosevelt Executive and Legislative Building, student teams had 10 minutes to convince a panel of expert judges that their plan for a business in the Plaza of the new Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum is feasible and would be successful.
The team “Trampoline Machine” placed second and received $5,000 cash from Deloitte.
“This was a very exciting project. Our proposed business called Trampoline Machine is an indoor trampoline park that would be near the Nassau Coliseum,” said Jeremy Frierman. “The catch phrase is ‘we are the trampoline machine, and we take jumping to the extreme.’”
The team “Pawsitively Paradise” placed third and received $2,500 from Emblem Health.
“Our team proposed to open up a humane pet day care. It gives customers the peace of mind that they can go anywhere and there pet will be safe. We are excited that we presented our plan, organized our presentation and worked together. This taught us leadership skills, and we can apply this to the real world,” said Madalyn Fernbach.
This year students had the opportunity to win $10,000 scholarships to Hofstra University or Adelphi University, cash prizes of $5,000 from each Healthplex, and Deloitte, $2,500 from Emblem Health, and $750 from Jzanus Home Care. In all, more than $33,000 in prizes.
“My office has created a competition where the leaders of tomorrow will be challenged today to come up with business ideas that they feel will thrive in Nassau County,” Comptroller George Maragos said. “The development around the Coliseum will be one of the largest projects in the county and the challenge will provide students with an exciting opportunity to come up with innovative and youthful business ideas.”
