Local High School Students Learn Entrepreneurship, Compete for $2,000 in Scholarships

The University of San Diego's School of Business partnered with the California Foundation Fund to host the FutureBoss training week and competition on June 20. FutureBoss is a Youth Entrepreneurship Training Platform and Competition for rising leaders at high schools throughout San Diego.

This year, 23 participants from 15 high schools countywide learned how to develop and pitch their venture ideas in a four–day intensive “entrepreneurship bootcamp.” 

Students learned how to identify a problem and develop a solution with a unique marketable idea. They received workshops from USD business faculty and community business leaders on marketing, pricing, financial plans, competitive advantage, distribution and aligning business goals to make an impact in the world. 

At the end of the training, students presented their business ideas in the form of a five-minute pitch to a panel of esteemed judges. Three students were chosen to win $2,000 in scholarship awards and honored at a ceremony with their parents, business leaders and the community.

Harmony Prado, from Morse High, won the first-place prize with her idea “Harmony’s Room,” a safe space for teenage girls to feel empowered, connection, personal and supported with their mental health. 

"I was so impressed to see how much the students were able to absorb from the workshop sessions in just four days and how greatly they incorporated real business principles in their pitches," said Karolina Rzadkowolska, USD School of Business' strategic initiatives manager, who was one of the four judges of the competition. "What was most impressive, however, was the passion these students had to make an impact in the world through business ideas that help the environment, education system, and promote well-being." 

Students also heard from community business leaders on going after their dreams and the perseverance and education it takes to be an entrepreneur. Speakers included Michael Dallo, founder of Dallo Law Group, USD's Rzadkowolska, and Miguel Vasquez, founder and chairman of the California Foundation Fund.