Providence Student Wins Top Prize in Entrepreneurship Challenge
Saturday, January 28, 2023
It is like the Shark Tank for Rhode Island high school students.
Daisha Jackson, a senior at the Metropolitan Regional Career and Technical Center, won first place and a $5,000 scholarship in Lieutenant Governor’s Entrepreneurship Challenge, a business pitch competition for high school students.
GET THE LATEST BREAKING NEWS HERE -- SIGN UP FOR GOLOCAL FREE DAILY EBLASTEntrepreneurship Challenge is organized by the Office of Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos and was first created by Governor Dan McKee in 2018.
“I am deeply proud of today’s contestants, all of whom made compelling and interesting presentations. I hope that, in addition to the scholarships they won, our students have come away more enthusiastic than ever about becoming entrepreneurs,” said Lieutenant Governor Sabina Matos. “Today showed that the future of Rhode Island’s small business community is bright!”
Jackson's business idea, Yoga for All, was awarded the highest marks out of the five finalists by a panel of judges. Four other teams won scholarships of their own, having been selected for the final round out of dozens of submissions from Rhode Island high school students.
The final results of the Lieutenant Governor’s Entrepreneurship Challenge are:
• 1st Place, $5,000: Daisha Jackson, “Yoga for All,” The MET High School
• 2nd Place, $4,000: Faith Basler, “NugSafe,” East Greenwich High School
• 3rd Place, $2,500: Zainabou Thiam, “SunuBody,” The MET High School
• 4th Place, $1,500: Alyssa Davidson “Crow’s Nest Art Supply,” Scituate High School
• 5th Place, $1,000: Siddharth Gupta, Liam Helfrich, and William Sturla, “Community Connections,” Barrington High School
Funds for the scholarship are generously provided by a charitable donation from the Credit Unions of Rhode Island, as well as the support of other local businesses including BankNewport, Massey and Associates, Dr. Day Care, and the RI Association of Realtors. The funds are distributed through Millennial RI, a local non-profit that encourages young professionals to build their careers in Rhode Island.
“The Credit Unions of Rhode Island were excited to help bring back the Lieutenant Governor’s Entrepreneurship Challenge this year,” said Ron McLean, president/CEO of the Cooperative Credit Union Association, a trade organization representing Rhode Island’s credit unions. “By taking a front seat in providing scholarship dollars to fuel the challenge today, credit unions help nourish and foster tomorrow’s successful business leaders throughout the Ocean State.”
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