Student entrepreneurs from across Greater Los Angeles showcased their innovative business solutions at the 2024 Young Innovators Accelerator Pitch Competition on December 5th. The event, hosted by the Greater Los Angeles Education Foundation in partnership with Annenberg Tech, Annenberg Learner, LACOE and Best Buy Foundation, featured top student founders from six Best Buy Teen Tech Centers.

The competition marked the culmination of months of intensive entrepreneurship training, during which more than 60 students developed business plans addressing pressing community challenges. The finalists, representing Teen Tech Centers from Antelope Valley to Long Beach, pitched their ideas to a distinguished panel of judges including representatives from Best Buy, CSU Dominguez Hills, and New Media Ventures.

Gabriel from the Carmelitos Long Beach Teen Tech Center secured the first-place prize of $1,400 with ByteAI, an artificial intelligence platform designed to personalize learning experiences for high school and college students. Second place and $1,000 went to Tristen from North Valley Caring Services for BeSeen, a peer-to-peer mental health social application. The team from VSEDC's South L.A. center claimed third place and $600 with Opportunity Oasis, a community marketplace concept combining homelessness services, affordable fresh food access with job training.

Other innovative finalists included Visionary Frames from Antelope Valley BGC, presenting a smart-connected camera with interchangeable lenses; Little Sunshine from Bresee Foundation, proposing an affordable daycare solution for working mothers; and Bvlk vs. Cvt from Legacy LA, offering a platform connecting communities to affordable healthy food options.

The competition highlighted the emerging generation of young entrepreneurs from diverse Los Angeles communities, with each participant receiving recognition and cash prizes for their innovative solutions to local challenges. The event demonstrated the impact of combining technology education with entrepreneurship training in empowering youth to address community needs through business innovation.

To learn more about the Young Innovator Accelerator course, visit GLAEF’s website.