The National Business Plan Competition showcases some of the best and brightest student leaders and budding entrepreneurs in the country. In 2021-22, forty VE companies from around the country made it to the 2022 National Business Plan Competition after demonstrating strong written business plans and oral presentations to panels of industry professionals and educators. See below to view the top eight teams from the 2022 National Business Plan Competition.

Our culminating competition for the 2021-22 school year took place during the week of April 4-8, 2022. Both Year 1 and Year 2 VE-JV students were encouraged to compete by presenting their business pitches to a panel of judges live via Zoom! Thirty eight teams participated in this year’s competition, below are the winners from each division!

The Winning Women Leadership Conference is an early career development program for female leaders enrolled in the VE program who have the opportunity to engage with and learn from inspiring women business professionals about the skills needed to develop successful careers.

A panel of six dynamic female executives and business owners shared their knowledge and experience on building their personal brand, establishing a professional presence, and developing effective communication skills. Companies represented were Broadridge, Ceros, Emmelle Designs, Stella & Chewy’s, RWJ Barnabas, New York Life, and Paramount.

We are grateful that we had over 20 mentors in attendance who shared their expertise and guidance with the students. These industry leaders act as group mentors and guide students through activities centered around leadership, teamwork and presentation skills. Our corporate partners are instrumental in helping us build a talent pipeline of young women for tomorrow’s workforce.

Volunteers play an essential role in the VE experience. Skilled professionals serve as competition judges, guest shoppers at trade shows, classroom mentors, and curriculum contributors. Each year, more than 1,000 business professionals and educators volunteer their time, talents, and expertise. Each volunteer brings real-world elements and insight into the VE program, helping VE students on their journey to prepare for a successful future.

The alumni program is an effective way to build and grow our VE network, both by cultivating the alumni group and their respective networks. To help further our mission to provide students relevant skills-based career experiences, alumni share their personal and professional experiences as guest speakers in the classroom, mentor student-run businesses, serve as judges at VE-sponsored competitions, trade shows, and leadership events, and/or provide internship opportunities to students.

The alumni panel discussion was designed for VE students interested in learning about life after VE. Throughout the past year, VE hosted two panel discussions for Long Island and Southern regions. The panel consisted of seven college alumni who shared how they leveraged their VE experience in college.

The event honored two exceptional leaders–Broadridge Financial Solutions, one of VE’s esteemed corporate partners and a champion for our students, and Iris Blanc, VE’s founder, whose vision and commitment made this amazing program possible.  We also recognized Ashley Fina, VE’s former Chair of the Board of Directors for her stewardship, especially during the challenging Covid period.  In addition, two of our alumni, Andrew Boryk and Nabeel Alamigar told of their journey from the VE classroom to co-founders of a business venture – Lunchbox.  They were recognized with the Joseph P. Delaney Alumni Award, which recognizes VE alumni who not only demonstrate success in their careers but embody the combination of leadership, professionalism, and dedication exemplified by business leader and VE champion, Joe Delaney.

After accepting the Noel N. Kriftcher Service to Education Award, Iris Blanc presented an inspiring retrospective of VE’s 25 years of impact, showcasing three VE students whose lives were forever changed by their experience in VE. 

Guests enjoyed a silent auction, a spectacular fashion show by MiJong Lee Designs, a lively text-to-pledge, and a memorable event–all to raise critical funds to support the mission of VEI.

Sandra and Eric Krasnoff

Janie Slevens and Jay Novik

Bank of America
Pamela & Matt Chasin
Michael Coneys
Mary Haggerty
HSBC
New York Life
United Federation of Teachers (UFT)
Paramount

Barclays
BNP Paribas
Boone Family
Broadridge Financial Solutions
Credit Suisse
Susana & Xavier Dailly
Nancy & Joseph Delaney
Deloitte
Stephanie & T.J. Durkin
Ashley Fina & Guillermo Drew-Bear

Cindi & Gregg Fisher
Cantor Fitzgerald
Farin & Morris Fodeman
Roman Kogan
Jennifer & Marc Lessner
Robin & Jay Lewis
Odeon Capital Group
Stella & Chewy’s

American Portfolios
Angelo Gordon
Atlantic Tomorrow’s Office
Community Bank Systems
Council of Supervisors & Administrators (CSA)
George Fina
Courtney & Cesar Gonzalez
Marsee & Steve Israel
J.P. Morgan

We are thrilled to announce a three-year, $750K grant from the New York Life Insurance Company Foundation to expand our successful Junior Ventures Career Academy (VE-JV) that will support us in our goal to reach 40,000 middle school youth through afterschool and summer school programming!
The grant, titled “Within Their Reach: Empowering Today’s Youth and Tomorrow’s Workforce,” will offer schools and afterschool and summer programs serving middle school students in under-resourced communities with high-quality career exploration and career development learning experiences that prepare them for a successful high school transition.

The HSBC Opportunity Fund is a grant created to help defray the cost of YBS travel and expenses for students from underserved communities and this year will award funding to five schools to attend VE’s Youth Business Summit (YBS) in New York City in April 2022. The 2022 YBS drew hundreds of student-entrepreneurs from around the world who competed for best business plan, marketing plan and business website and more. The award is in recognition of the virtual businesses created and run by the students each day from their classrooms.

1. Kipp DC College Preparatory High School in Washington DC
2. Northside School of Innovation, Technology, and Entrepreneurship in San Antonio, TX
3. Carpintería High School in Carpinteria, CA
4. Alpena High School in Alpena, MI (partial coverage)
5. Ridgeview High School in Bakersfield, CA (partial coverage)

American Portfolios • Bank of America • BNP Paribas • Broadridge • Capital One • Deloitte • FedEx • Long Island Community Foundation • People’s United Bank • Santander Bank • Paramount • Cross River Bank • Atlantic’s Tomorrow Office • Community Foundations of Tampa Bay • Ceros • KPMG • East West Bank • Morgan Stanley • Boone Family Foundation