Antioch girl among 10 Contra Costa Shark Tank Youth Competition finalists
Students ages 11-17 selected from over 300 applicants
Finalist pitch event February 6th at Lafayette library will determine $1,000 winner
MORAGA, CALIFORNIA –Ten students in Contra Costa County have been selected as finalists for the first Contra Costa Shark Tank Youth Competition (www.contracostasharktank.org).
The competition, open to all Contra Costa County students in grades Kindergarten through 12th grade, is a fun way to promote youth entrepreneurship. When young people succeed as entrepreneurs, they improve their own lives while also contributing to the economic development of their local communities.
Antioch 7th-grader Lydia Stewart is one of the finalists and owns Lydia’s Soap. According to her business website, Lydia’s “soaps are good for sensitive skin and fun for bath time. Try my rub a dub soap for kids who love to play hard. Each hand wash gets you closer to a fun toy inside.”
“My parents bought me a soap making kit and I loved making soaps,” she shared. “My mom decided it would be a great way to learn economics. I have fun making great soaps and I get to share them with all my friends. I learn how to keep a budget and run a business, but most of all I get to spend time with my mom. Mom is my manager, teacher and employee. We make a great team.”
High school junior Maya Hammerman, the competition founder and one of the judges said, “The best way to learn about entrepreneurship is by starting a business. My journey as an entrepreneur started in elementary school. I created the competition to inspire kids in Contra Costa County to start or grow any type of business from traditional ones such as lemonade stands, to innovative new products or services that they create.”
The ten finalists listed below were selected by members of the Campolindo High School Entrepreneurship Club from over 300 applicants.
- SportzCity, Hunter Smith (5th Grade, Burton Valley Elementary, Lafayette)
- Experimental Kids, Archit Kundu (5th Grade, Bella Vista Elementary, San Ramon)
- Lydia’s Soap, Lydia Stewart (7th Grade, Homeschool, Antioch)
- Loonies, Valerie Castellanos, Angie Alvarenga, Giovanny Perez (7th, Summit Tamalpais, Richmond)
- Tied Up in a Bow, Himna Imam & Mahum Malik (9th Grade, Venture & Dougherty Valley, San Ramon)
- ElderSafe, Ronen Jain (10th Grade, Monte Vista High, Danville)
- MiracleAlgae, Nicolas Angel-Ordonez & Shashank Koundinya (11th Grade, San Ramon Valley, Danville)
- Synchroma Studio, Hector Espinoza (12th Grade, Freedom High, Oakley)
- ScrubWoofer™, Beatrice Roberge (12th Grade, Campolindo High, Moraga)
- Workout Wizard, Fatimah Hussain (12th Grade, Dougherty Valley High, San Ramon)
Winners will receive $1,000 for first place, $500 for second place, and $250 for third place. Sponsors for the competition include Chevron, Visa, PG&E, Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, and Campolindo Parents Club. Winners will be chosen by a panel of five judges at the Finalist Pitch Event at the Lafayette library on Tuesday February 6, 2024 at 7pm. For ticket information visit www.contracostasharktank.org
Contact Information:
Contra Costa Shark Tank Youth Competition
Maya Hammerman, Founder
Email: contracostasharktank@gmail.com
