NFTE Southeast Showcases Advance 10 Student Ventures to National Stage in New York

New York, NY, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) today announced the top student ventures from its Southeast Youth Entrepreneurship Showcases, with 10 standout teams advancing to the U.S. National Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase in New York City this fall. Selected from a competitive field across 10 regional events, these young entrepreneurs represent the best of NFTE’s growing pipeline of innovative, purpose-driven student businesses.

This year marked the debut of NFTE’s new showcase structure, designed to expand access, deepen learning, and elevate the student experience. During the showcases hosted across the region, students participated in pitch competitions, workshops, and coaching sessions—building critical skills in entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and communication.

The 10 students advancing to the national stage are:

• Kathlyn Augustin from Young Middle Magnet School in Tampa, with her business idea Forever Sleek, a synthetic hair care business that sources banana tree fibers to replace other toxic alternatives.
• Dane Blakeman from Duncan U. Fletcher High School in Neptune Beach, Florida, with his business idea Blakeman Technologies, which offers a controlled approach to cryopreservation using a patent-protected, phase-controlled additive that suppresses ice formation and enables stable deep supercooling.
• Valerie Franklin from Stone Mountain High School in Stone Mountain, Georgia, with her business idea Valerie’s Giggle Garden, a licensed overnight daycare with structured routines and supervision.
• Nikolett Aranyos from New World School of the Arts in Miami, with her business idea Trust Point, a global digital news platform that delivers verified, unbiased information with transparent sourcing and bias indicators.
• Kayla Grant and Mollie Obas from Palm Beach Gardens High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, with their business idea United Dance Company, a performance-based dance studio that provides training and performance opportunities to every dancer including those with disabilities.
• Kennedy Tai and Nathaniel Swann from Innovation High School in Orlando, with their business idea Genuine Touch, providing customizable hygiene products to neurodivergent individuals.
• Teyanah Laidley from Poinciana High School in Kissimmee, Florida, with her business idea The Silicone Kitchen, which sells fake food to restaurants and bakeries for display so that real food doesn’t have to be wasted.
• Brody Boccuzzi from Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida, with his business idea NoScalp, an anti-scalping software for entertainment and retail industries with bot behavior analysis, resale intent indicators, and volume threshold monitoring.
• Lucas Solomon from Fort Lauderdale High School in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, with his business idea RenewMed, which provides refurbished medical equipment directly to consumers.
• Ahmed Aoun and Cole White from Spruce Creek High School in Port Orange, Florida, with their business idea MintMelt, a chewable toothpaste tablet for travelers, commuters, and anyone who needs oral care on the go. 

These teams will join top student entrepreneurs from across the country at the U.S. National Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase on Nov. 18, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The winning U.S. team will advance to the World Finals on Nov. 19 at 787 Seventh Avenue in New York City, competing against peers from more than 20 countries for the NFTE Showcase Champion title.

“The energy and ingenuity we saw across the Southeast showcases were extraordinary,” said Chris Brignolle, NFTE Senior Executive Director, Southeast and Regional Support. “This new showcase model is about more than competition. It’s about creating meaningful opportunities for all students to engage, learn, and grow as entrepreneurs. These four teams rose to the top, but every student who participated gained skills that will serve them for life.”

In addition, NFTE Southeast recognized outstanding contributors who help make this work possible, including Southeast Individual Volunteer of the Year Chirag Patel of Cloud Software Group and Southeast Corporate Volunteer of the Year Comerica Bank. These honorees exemplify the commitment and collaboration that power NFTE’s mission and expand opportunities for young people across the region.

The Southeast Showcases were made possible thanks to the following event hosts: the Walt Disney World Swan Resort, Stetson Baptist Church, University of Central Florida Business Incubation Program – Kissimmee, University of South Florida’s Nault Center for Entrepreneurship, Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education at the University of South Florida’s College of Education, Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), EverBank, and the Grant Cardone Foundation. The NFTE Southeast Showcases were presented by EY US, PayPal, the G-Unity Foundation, Santander, and Zuora.

For media inquiries, contact Denise Berkhalter Miller, National Director of Communications, at mediainquiries@nfte.com or (917) 281-4362.

About NFTE?? 
Network?for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)?brings the power of entrepreneurship education to learners, educators, and decision-makers so all young people can own their?futures. A global nonprofit founded in 1987,?NFTE?leads?the global movement for?equitable?access to entrepreneurship education.?NFTE has educated?nearly?2?million?learners, delivering our programs in school, out of school, in-person, online, or through hybrid models. Visit?nfte.com?to learn more.?

Attachments

• NFTE DeKalb County Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase Champion
• NFTE Duval County Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase Champion

Denise Berkhalter, APR Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) 917-281-4362 deniseb@nfte.com