High School Business Plan Competition
Project ECHO sponsors an annual Business Plan Competition for High School Students in collaboration with the Entrepreneur Association of UCLA Anderson School of Management.
Participants in the Competition receive curriculum to guide them through the process of thinking about and writing a business plan. Project ECHO coordinates Mentors from UCLA Anderson to work with the students on the various sections of their business plans and to coach them for their presentations in the competition. The competition is held at UCLA Anderson School of Management’s state-of-the-art auditorium and the students’ presentations are evaluated by both local business leaders and members of the Anderson community.
Through participating in the competition students obtain a deeper exposure to elements of business practices, build relationships with local business professionals, and gain confidence in their presentation and communication skills.
Project ECHO offers the Business Plan Competition program to high schools throughout the Greater Los Angeles area. Past participants include:
• Beverly Hills High School
• Canyon Springs High School
• Chatsworth High School• Costa Mesa High School
• John Muir High School
• John Marshall Fundamental Secondary School
• Norwalk High School
• Santa Monica High School
• San Pedro High School
• Santa Susana High School
• South Pasadena High School• Venice High School
Third Annual Business Plan Competition Award Winners
The 1st Place Existing On-Campus Business Award was given to Vikes’ Inn & Café from Santa Monica High School. With its second consecutive win in this category, Vikes’ Inn & Café is a student managed and operated business offering lunch, snacks, spirit gear, school supplies and a healthy dose of school pride at Santa Monica High School.
The 1st Place New On-Campus Business Award was given to The Pirate Café from San Pedro High School. The Pirate Café is a salvation for students who are active and want good tasting nutritious food at an affordable price. Focusing on “nutritious and delicious,” to set it apart from other food service choices, The Pirate Café will also educate its teen population in nutrition basics to go along with their healthy choices.
The 1st Place New Business Concept Award was given to NM4 Enterprises from Beverly Hills High School. NM4 Enterprises is an innovative and exciting entertainment promotions company for teens. The mission of NM4 Enterprises is to encourage youth entrepreneurship and charity while hosting great events for teens. Every NM4 Enterprises event is heavily pre-planned with top-level celebrity features, teen prize-winning contests and performances, and sponsor giveaways.
Third Annual Business Plan Competition Feedback
Project ECHO Student Participants:
“The event at UCLA was a wonderful experience that taught me a tremendous amount of things that I wouldn’t have been able to experience anywhere else. I enjoyed interacting with different people from different schools and learning what they had to say.”
“Because I plan on majoring in business management, Project ECHO gave me a chance to experience what it is like to come up with a business. It was a great opportunity to know what business management is all about.”
“I thought that the Project ECHO program was an amazing experience, and I had a blast. I'm just sad that I only got to experience it this year, my senior year, and that I don't get another chance to do this again.”
Project ECHO Teachers:
“I cannot tell you what a rewarding experience this competition was for my students! They were very excited when they returned to class on Monday; they were eager to share their experiences with other students and teachers.”
“The opportunity to give an oral presentation of their business plan to this group of prominent business leaders and fellow students was an invaluable experience for my students. They left with increased self confidence, an appreciation for the relevancy of the skills they have mastered to the real world, and an appetite to continue their academic training at a school as impressive as UCLA.”
“I like the collaboration of students working together and having a mentor as a good example. The program helped my students to mature and grow. It created a reality for them in their lives of the importance of working together as a team and created new friendships and trusts between them. Being amongst professionals at UCLA was a great learning experience that they will never forget. This competition helped to prepare them for college as well and having the presentation at UCLA was an excellent choice! Thank you so very much!”
Project ECHO / UCLA Anderson Mentors:
“I just wanted to tell you what a great experience I had working with ‘my’ kids. Their warmth, enthusiasm and energy made it easy to work with them, and I look forward to mentoring next year. One of the aspects I liked best is that Project Echo provides an outlet for kids who are natural entrepreneurs but might not be the best traditional students. In other words, it gives these born business people a chance to shine.”
“Great job with the event!!! It was such a fantastic experience, and I was so impressed by how well orchestrated the event was! The kids just loved the competition, and I think it was so great for them to see the UCLA campus and Anderson School. Thank you again for being a great support network throughout the whole process!”
Project ECHO Volunteer Judges:
“I wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed the day as a judge for the business plan competition. Project ECHO is a great program with a lot of wonderful people involved. Most important, the students seemed excited, earnest, and were clearly benefiting from the exposure to business issues. Congratulations for a marvelous program. I wish I had been exposed to something like that when I was in high school.”
“I wanted to thank you for the opportunity to attend and participate in last weekend's Project ECHO finals. It was a really enjoyable time and so many of those students were so impressive from their motivation to their follow-thru. I didn't have any idea that so many high schools had active student-run businesses. If there are ways in which I might be able to contribute to the program in the future, I would certainly be interested in finding out about them.”
