Teen Entrepreneurs Invited to Compete for Scholarship

MILWAUKEE, December 6, 2024—Teen entrepreneurs from across Wisconsin are invited to sign up to compete for a $5,000 scholarship prize as part of the annual Young Entrepreneur (YE) Competition sponsored by Junior Achievement of Wisconsin to be held February 21, 2025, in Milwaukee. Wisconsin teens in grades 9-12 who have run their business since January 2024 or earlier are eligible to apply.

In the “Shark Tank” style competition, four finalists are selected to pitch their businesses live to a panel of celebrity judges for a chance to win the $5,000 top prize. This year’s competition will be judged by Craig Culver of Wisconsin’s own Culvers chain of restaurants, Jim Popp of Johnson Financial Group, Denise Thomas of The Effective Communications Coach, and Wes Saber of Haribo. Three other finalists will be awarded $1,500 scholarship awards.

The annual competition spotlights Wisconsin youth who have successfully turned a business idea into a reality in the form of a fully operational commercial enterprise. The YE competition winner will be chosen based on business success, growth potential, and social involvement. Other considerations will be the entrepreneur’s age when the business was started, strategic direction, innovation, personal integrity, leadership, and any special challenges the young entrepreneur had to overcome. 

If you are a teen in grades 9-12, or know of one, who started their own business, visit or share the Junior Achievement of Wisconsin website to learn more or sign up to compete. To be considered for the 2024 competition, students must submit a completed application, head shot, video pitching the student’s business, a signed media release, and permission slip signed by a parent or guardian if the entrepreneur is under 18 years of age. The application deadline is midnight on Monday, January 6, 2025, at 11:59 PM CST.   

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on lessons that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills. Since 2021, more than 14,000 Junior Achievement volunteers have taught JA life skills to 340,000 Wisconsin students. For more information, visit Wisconsin.ja.org.