On Friday, May 19, Somerset County Library System of New Jersey hosted Teen Tycoons, an entrepreneurial contest designed for students grades 7-12, at SCLSNJ’s Manville Library branch. Similar to the TV show Shark Tank, fourteen Somerset County students pitched their business ideas to a panel of judges who were looking for original business concepts and/or new variations of an existing business concept.
Congratulations to all of the participants in the competition! Office Evolution Somerville is excited to have sponsored the event and help foster entrepreneurship at an early age. Prizes, courtesy of Office Evolution Somerville, were awarded to the first, second, and third place winners.
1st Place: Brianna Broderick, grade 11, and Madison Hill-Glover, grade 11, both of Academy for Health and Medical Sciences (SCVTHS)
The first place winning idea: “Breathin’ Easy”
The concept included modifications and enhancements to an oxygen concentrator machine, inspired by and in memory of Brianna’s mother, who passed away several years ago. The enhancements to the device, including ambulance connection technology, a remote control, additional tubing, and more, would have made Brianna’s mother more comfortable throughout her illness. Both Brianna and Madison hope to assist others suffering from breathing diseases with their ideas.
2nd Place: Niharika Iyer, grade 9, Watchung Hills Regional High School
3rd Place: Vraj Thakar, grade 11, Hillsborough High School
Pictured in back row (left to right):
Tanish Jain, grade 7, Montgomery Upper Middle School; Swas Goel, grade 8, French American School of Princeton; Vraj Thakar, grade 11, Hillsborough High School; Harshita Ramakrishnan, grade 10, Bridgewater-Raritan High School; and Aidan Allman-Cooper, grade 9, Watchung Hills High School.
Pictured in front row (left to right):
Samantha Osborne, grade 7, Bridgewater-Raritan Middle SchoolMadison Hill-Glover, grade 11, Academy for Health and Medical Sciences (SCVTHS); Brianna Broderick, grade 11, Academy for Health and Medical Sciences (SCVTHS); Gabriel Garcia, grade 12, Bound Brook High School; Jose Torres, grade 12, Bound Brook High School; Niharika Iyer, grade 9, Watchung Hills Regional High School; Pragadeshwar Kalatheeswaran, grade 7, Raritan Middle School; Ulka Bhavsar, owner of Office Evolution Somerville, SCLSNJ Teen Tycoons sponsor; Flabia Recinos, grade 11, North Plainfield High School; and Anusahana Chandrashekar, grade 10, Watchung Hills Regional High School.
