The Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge (TYCIC) Returns to New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW)

After months of problem-solving and with  guidance from entrepreneur-mentors, this year’s Trust Your Crazy Idea Challenge cohort is putting their extraordinary ideas on display this week in a series of young entrepreneur events during New Orleans Entrepreneur Week (NOEW). 

 JA’s Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge, in partnership with the Brees Dream Foundation, is a high school entrepreneurship competition that challenges students to pitch their best startup idea for a chance to earn continuing education funds.

Now in its 12th year, NOEW brings together business owners, startup founders, industry leaders, forward-thinking investors, and business-minded creatives committed to imagining and building an exceptional future for New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region.

Held on Monday, March 27th at Loyola University, JA’s Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum provided an opportunity for local high school students to connect with inspiring young entrepreneurs including Rich Simmerman, Ceres; Eric Arvison, Shutterstock; Blake Stanfill, Okwata Investment Group;  Lindsay Navarro, El Centro, Franziska Troutman, Glass Half Full; Ray Rivas, Green Terra Construction; and previous Trust Your Crazy Idea winner, Tori Mire, Wackpack.

Through the engaging moderating of Meaghan McCormack, CEO of the St. Bernard Economic Development Foundation, the panelists were prompted to share their varied, often humorous paths toward entrepreneurship, and their stories showcased the power in believing in an idea and matching that belief with hard work. The high school students then had an opportunity to ask the panelists thoughtful questions about the environment facing entrepreneurs in New Orleans. This TYCIC Young Entrepreneurs’ Forum, produced by Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans, is one of more than a dozen “NOEW in Your Neighborhood events” that kickoff the NOEW week and puts the spotlight on leading organizations across the city who host their own events to showcase the local entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Following Monday’s forum, JA hosted the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge Big Pitch Semi-Finals at Loyola University’s College of Business on Wednesday evening. At this event, the 2023 Greater New Orleans cohort of high school entrepreneurs had an opportunity to apply their months of hard work to the moment by pitching their “crazy” ideas to a panel of volunteer judges for a spot in the 2023 Big Pitch Finals at NOEW.

JA is thrilled to announce this year’s semi-finalists who will take the NOEW stage today at Generations Hall from 10AM to Noon, where the New Orleans-area winner will be decided:

Anne-Marie Howat and Raleigh Lusignan - Fancy Plants
Mount Carmel Academy

Atticus Stricklin and Sebastian Rodriguez - Strawbath
Willow School

Caroline Brady and Vivian Vazquez - Plenty Pockets
Mount Carmel Academy

Sophie Michalewicz, Carmen Colon, and Kaya Dorotan - Upcycle
Benjamin Franklin High School

Lauren Gros and Gia Hartdegen - Flip-N-Hide
Archbishop Chappelle High School

You are invited to join us in cheering on these semi-finalist teams as they demonstrate how their once “crazy idea” is now an idea that investors should take seriously.

The Greater New Orleans finalist will receive $5,000 in scholarships, free Chick-fil-A for a year, and $2,500 for their school. The two runners-up will also receive a $2,500 scholarship.

Then this year’s winning team will represent Greater New Orleans in the State competition on Friday, April 28th at Loyola University, pitching alongside the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge finalists from Baton Rouge, Lafayette, and North Louisiana. The State Champion will receive $10,000 in scholarships and $5,000 for their school.

To learn more about JA’s Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge, contact Jordan Cressy Garcie at jordan@jagno.org.