Issa Odeh, 18, and Antony Saleh, 17, from Palestine win NFTE’s World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge

The Water World founders competed against students from 10 countries to secure a $5,000 grand prize

/EIN News/ -- New York, NY, Nov. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Global nonprofit Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) named Issa Odeh and Antony Saleh as the winners of its 2024 World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. The annual competition showcases the incredible talent and creativity of young entrepreneurs from around the globe.

Presented by the Citi Foundation, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US) and Zuora, with associate support from PayPal and additional support from the New York Stock Exchange and UBS, the event brought together 11 student businesses from 10 different countries to compete in a high-stakes business plan pitch competition with the top finalists competing in front of an invited audience at the New York Stock Exchange. NFTE’s 2024 National Champion Lucio Hightower-Rojas from Los Angeles, represented the United States in the competition.

Odeh and Saleh, students from the Al Nayzak Organization in Palestine impressed the judges with their innovative business idea, Water World, an affordable device that monitors water and purity levels in tanks, purifies water, and notifies users remotely. They were awarded $5,000 to further develop their entrepreneurial venture.  

Two other business ideas were recognized as finalists. Sami Jalloud, Noor Rashid, and Noor Shalabi, also from Al Nayzak, received $1,000 for their Mediclic concept. Yuliia Tkachenko, Kyrylo Martyniuk, Arina Khmeliuk, and Vadym Dobrovolskyi from Ukrainian Future Business Incubator in Ukraine received $1,000 for their business idea, OUTEX.

“No matter where they’re from, all great entrepreneurs start with problems that they see in their own communities,” said Dr. J.D. LaRock, NFTE president & CEO. “It’s clear that the NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge is the place for the next generation of great entrepreneurs. From an app that harnesses the power of AI to provide equitable access to education, to a product that simplifies the healthcare process, these innovative business ideas prove that NFTE learners have the talent, creativity, and power to change the world.”

The winners were selected by a distinguished panel of VIP judges, including Cody Chang, Co-Founder & Head of Business at Product Gym, Head of Product at Quadency, and NFTE alumnus; Ingrid Giordano, Managing Director, Head of Early Career Talent Acquisition and Program Management at Citi; Nicholas Haber, Director, STEM & CTE at Certiport; Jon Herrick, Chief Product Officer at the New York Stock Exchange; Ken Houseman, Vice President of Product Strategy at Zuora; and Sabina Zaman, Partner – US FSO IPO Leader, Financial Accounting Advisory Services at EY US. 

“Empowering youth with the skills and confidence to innovate is essential for creating a sustainable and equitable world,” said Ellen Glazerman, Executive Director, EY Foundation and Director of University Relations, EY Americas. “Together, we are inspiring and equipping the next generation of entrepreneurial talent to shape the future with confidence and insight.”

"Zuora is proud to support young entrepreneurs who are shaping the future with bold, innovative ideas,” said Tien Tzuo, Zuora CEO. “Empowering youth through entrepreneurial education fosters economic resilience and growth in a rapidly changing world. We are inspired by these students’ drive to make a positive impact and excited to see their solutions unfold in the real world." 

The annual NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge featured a day of learning, personalized coaching sessions, and a semifinal round of competition at UBS in New York City as well as a partner strategy session facilitated by EY Wavespace. These aspiring innovators are committed to shaping a brighter, more inclusive future through their bold ideas and entrepreneurial spirit. 

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For media inquiries, please contact Angelika Seaman, 603-504-8554, or Denise Berkhalter, APR, 917-281-4362, at mediainquiries@nfte.com. 

About NFTE 

Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) ignites the entrepreneurial mindset with unique learning experiences that empower students to own their futures. A global nonprofit founded in 1987, NFTE provides high-quality entrepreneurship education to middle school, high school and postsecondary students. NFTE brings the power of entrepreneurship to students, regardless of family income, community resources, special needs, gender identity, race, or ethnicity. NFTE has educated more than a million students, delivering our programs in school, out of school, in-person, online, or through hybrid models. Visit nfte.com to learn more. 

About EY

EY is building a better working world by creating new value for clients, people, society and the planet, while building trust in capital markets.

Enabled by data, AI and advanced technology, EY teams help clients shape the future with confidence and develop answers for the most pressing issues of today and tomorrow.

EY teams work across a full spectrum of services in assurance, consulting, tax, strategy and transactions. Fueled by sector insights, a globally connected, multi-disciplinary network and diverse ecosystem partners, EY teams can provide services in more than 150 countries and territories.

All in to shape the future with confidence.

EY refers to the global organization, and may refer to one or more, of the member firms of Ernst & Young Global Limited, each of which is a separate legal entity. Ernst & Young Global Limited, a UK company limited by guarantee, does not provide services to clients. Information about how EY collects and uses personal data and a description of the rights individuals have under data protection legislation are available via ey.com/privacy. EY member firms do not practice law where prohibited by local laws. For more information about our organization, please visit ey.com.

About Zuora, Inc.

Zuora provides a leading monetization suite to build, run and grow a modern business through a dynamic mix of usage-based models, subscription bundles and everything in between. From pricing and packaging, to billing, payments and revenue accounting, Zuora’s flexible, modular software platform is designed to help companies evolve monetization strategies with customer demand. More than 1,000 customers around the world, including BMC Software, Box, Caterpillar, General Motors, The New York Times, Schneider Electric and Zoom use Zuora’s leading combination of technology and expertise to turn recurring relationships and recurring revenue into recurring growth. Zuora is headquartered in Silicon Valley with offices in the Americas, EMEA and APAC. To learn more, please visit zuora.com.

Attachments

• NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Champions
• 2024 NFTE World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge Finalists

Denise Berkhalter, APR
                    Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)
                    917-281-4362
                    deniseb@nfte.com