Feb. 6, 2021 — Eight teams of young entrepreneurs from the Greater Washington region and beyond put their big ideas to the test at the third annual virtual Junior Achievement Trade Show.
The JA Trade Show served as an opportunity for the student companies to step outside their comfort zone and present their products to the public for the first time in a market-style environment. The event was part of the 2020-21 JA Company Program® and garnered 381 attendees.
The JA Company Program is a competitive program in which high school students are challenged to work in teams and put their business ideas into action by launching and operating a startup under the guidance of business professionals.
The 2021 JA Trade Show was presented in a virtual format that allowed for a digital trade show floor, complete with a helpdesk, student booths with live and pre-recorded presentations and chats, special offers and polls, and a stage with live presentations.
The students spent the afternoon pitching and demoing their products, engaging with and selling to customers, and premiering their company commercials. Overall, the teams sold 133 units of product.
The teams were evaluated and interviewed by a panel of local business leaders:
Hope Jeffries, E*TRADE
Scott Swanson, Enquizit, Inc.
Tara Claeys, Design TLC
Jimmy Lewandowski, EY
Jon Jeffries, Capital Delivery
Seare Kidane, HSBC
Jeanne Jenkins, Wells Fargo
Team Stuffed Out, a business that sells comfortable, one-size-fits-all stuffed animal bracelets that help reduce stress and anxiety among children, received the award for Best Overall Performance.
Team Complete Comfort, a business that sells soothing and stress-relieving body wraps with lavender fragrance, received the award for Best Commercial.
Team Secure Chirp, a business that protects against everyday dangers by selling keychains equipped with an SOS alarm and Bluetooth ability, received the award for Top Sales Performance.
On March 20, 2021, the eight teams will compete in the JA Company of the Year Competition, the culminating regional event for all the JA Company Program teams, for a chance to represent Junior Achievement of Greater Washington at the virtual 2021 National Student Leadership Summit.
