Nine Long Island teams will put their proposed business plans to the test in a nationwide contest after advancing through two rounds of competition.
The students were among 133 groups from 84 local schools to showcase their businesses during Virtual Enterprises International’s Long Island Regional Conference and Exhibition, which was held at Long Island University in January. Forty percent qualified for the semifinals, which were held in February via Zoom.
The nine teams are now among 40 across the country to qualify for the national level at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in Manhattan on April 11-12.
“Every year, we are excited to see the level of detail, understanding and passion these
student-run firms bring,” said Virtual Enterprises International’s president and chief
executive, Tom Smith. “This year is no exception.”
Long Island’s qualifying teams and their high schools are Gimme Golf, Comsewogue in Port Jefferson Station; Greenprints, John F. Kennedy in Bellmore; Hive, Huntington; Nutri-Shore, Plainedge in North Massapequa; R&R Solutions, Smithtown West; RenewU, Hewlett; Smart Scents, Syosset; Soteria, Westhampton Beach; and Spike,Huntington.
Huntington was the only local high school with two qualifying teams. The school’s Hive team proposed an app in which teens could find local job opportunities, while the school’s Spike team proposed a sustainable drinkware company that could detect common spiking drugs.
“Unfortunately, each had a member that fell sick the day of the event and two students had to fill in at the last minute,” said Huntington teacher Paige Tyree Furman, who leads the school’s Virtual Enterprise program. “Watching both firms handle a difficult situation with such flexibility, determination and grace was one of the highlights of my career.”