Meet the Future of Innovation!
The Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge Class of 2024
The Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge, a vibrant 10-year partnership between Junior Achievement of Greater New Orleans (JAGNO) and the Brees Dream Foundation, is thrilled to announce its 2024 semi-finalists!
Students across Greater New Orleans have just completed JA Catalyst, an in-class, five-session program that teaches the fundamentals of entrepreneurship and innovation. Students then trusted their own “Crazy Ideas” by creating a business pitch, which they submitted to be considered for a spot as a semi-finalist.
This year's competition saw a surge of creativity and passion, with students across Louisiana submitting their "Crazy Ideas" – innovative solutions to pressing challenges, small and large.
Meet the semi-finalists who are rewriting the future below.
These remarkable semi-finalists are now gearing up for the next phase: an intensive bootcamp! Throughout the Spring, semi-finalist teams attend the Idea Accelerator workshop series. At these workshops, students hear from local entrepreneurs about marketing, manufacturing, funding, and more. Teams work with mentors from different industries to develop a pitch, a pitch deck, and a commercial for their “Crazy Idea.”
The Idea Accelerator workshops provide a platform to not only inspire students to anticipate and solve problems, but also develop impactful and real-world entrepreneurial, management, public speaking, and networking skills that they’ll need throughout their careers. With expert guidance from mentors, they'll hone their pitches, refine their business models, and transform their "Crazy Ideas" into polished presentations. Workshops, industry feedback, and peer collaboration will fuel their journey to the ultimate showdown: Pitch Day!
Mark your calendars: Pitch Day will be held on Wednesday, March 13, 2024, at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week. Witness these young visionaries take the stage and compete for a chance to win up to $15,000 in scholarships and $7,500 for their schools!
Trust Your Crazy Ideas is more than just a competition; it's a movement. It's about empowering the next generation of changemakers to embrace their bold ideas, no matter how audacious they may seem. It's about nurturing critical thinking, fostering innovation, and equipping young minds with the tools to build a brighter tomorrow.
Let's celebrate these incredible semi-finalists! Let's cheer them on as they chase their "Crazy Ideas" and turn them into reality. The future is brimming with possibilities, and these innovators are leading the charge!
Stay tuned for more updates on the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge! Follow us on social media and visit our website for exclusive content, behind-the-scenes insights, and ways to get involved.
#TrustYourCrazyIdeas #JAGNO #Innovation #FutureLeaders #Entrepreneurship
Meet the 2023-2024 Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge Semi-Finalists:
1. Kneauxlanow - Mount Carmel Academy
Team members: Hailey Hezeau, Ryan Foreman, and Elyssa Lassair
Idea: Kneauxlanow is a platform that connects locals and tourists with age-targeted city activities, promoting mental health and crime prevention by offering positive alternatives to bars and underage drinking.
Why it's crazy: This teen-created app tackles social issues through curated city experiences.
2. Destination Draft – Mount Carmel Academy
Team members: Eva Caparotta, Katelyn Moser, Sophia Flanagan, and Lilly Fontenot
Idea: Destination Draft eliminates vacation stress by creating and booking your entire itinerary, including activities, attractions, and restaurants, with a guaranteed refund if things go awry and a commitment to charity.
Why it's crazy: It's an all-in-one vacation concierge with a built-in fail-safe and charitable mission.
3. Saplings: Cultivate Happiness - Haynes Academy for Advanced Studies
Team member: Vaishnavi Kumbala
Idea: Saplings, a teen-made app with interactive mindfulness tools like guided meditation and music therapy, empowers youth in disaster zones to cultivate mental well-being. (Crazy: This disaster-proof app gives teens bite-sized mental health support, anytime, anywhere.)
Why it's crazy: Recognizing the detrimental impacts of natural disasters and other environmental stressors on youth mental health, Saplings offers a unique and accessible solution created by teenagers for teenagers who struggle to find support, regardless of their interests or preferences.
4. ComfyPod - Archbishop Shaw High School
Team member: Bakari Johnson
Idea: ComfyPod is a futuristic sleeping pod designed to address common airport woes like delays, cancellations, and lack of personal space.
Why it's crazy: This innovative pod offers features like built-in massage, personal air conditioning, a fold-away desk, and noise cancellation, providing a comfortable and convenient haven for travelers.
5. The Arm Can - Archbishop Shaw High School
Team members: Anthony Dixon, Leland Higgerson, Kaiden Johnson, and Patrick Donellan
Idea: The Arm Can is a convenient and stylish solution for holding canned drinks, eliminating the need for bulky coolers, or leaving drinks behind at home.
Why it's crazy: This simple yet effective product addresses a common everyday inconvenience, making it a practical and appealing choice for anyone on the go.
6. GrowBox – Ben Franklin High School
Team member: Bianca Martin
Idea: Growbox is a modular vertical garden that teaches people in urban communities with limited access to fresh foods and limited space how to grow their own fresh food in their backyard.
Why it's crazy: It tackles two major challenges in urban communities: limited access to fresh, nutritious food and lack of space for traditional gardens. This empowers individuals, fosters self-reliance, and promotes healthy eating habits.
7. FemmeFusion - Ben Franklin High School
Team members: Reva Sus, Gigi Frankowski, Cecilia Naccari, and Violet Moseley
Idea: FemmeFusion offers stylish and discreet shapewear with built-in heating pads, providing menstrual pain relief while allowing women to feel confident and comfortable.
Why it's crazy: This product tackles a common yet often stigmatized issue, offering a practical and empowering solution for women seeking comfort and confidence during their periods.
8. Deodorant Strips - Ben Franklin High School
Team members: Kaya Dorotan, Adeline Coughlin, and Aubrey Cowan
Idea: Deodorant Strips are single-use, travel-friendly adhesive patches that provide convenient on-the-go deodorant application.
Why it's crazy: Addressing the need for discreet and accessible hygiene solutions, Deodorant Strips offer a sustainable, safe, and practical alternative to traditional deodorant products.
9. OhBaby! - Archbishop Chapelle High School
Team members: Abigail Ragusa, Mackenzie Blanke, Emma Ruddy, and Ayva Smith
Idea: OhBaby! delivers essential baby supplies from small businesses directly to parents' doors, promoting convenience, sustainability, and community support.
Why it's crazy: This service caters to the specific needs of busy parents, offering a curated selection of high-quality products while fostering local business growth.
10. MultiScreen Fusion - St. Augustine High School
Team member: Eric Brasley
Idea: MultiScreen Fusion is a revolutionary app for seamless watching and interaction with multiple content sources on a single screen.
Why it's crazy: Maximizes screen real estate and multitasking, unlike other split-screen apps, with a user-friendly interface and cutting-edge technology.
11. Eswab - Archbishop Shaw High School
Team members: Jacob Washington, Travis Simmons, Nelson Carter, and Caleb Nguyen
Idea: Eswab is an affordable, easy-to-use diagnostic tool for nurses, doctors, and school nurses.
Why it's crazy: Helps medical professionals accurately diagnose illnesses and benefits the community.
12. Everything Pink Beauty Bar - Warren Easton High School
Team members: Akelia Matthews, Derriona Stewart, and Aliana Nelson
Idea: Everything Pink Beauty Bar is an inclusive beauty hub offering eco-friendly products, services, and community support for diverse needs.
Why it's crazy: Promotes inclusivity, sustainability, and empowerment with personalized approaches and conscious choices.
13. King Curbs - Edna Karr High School
Team members: Kenji Thompson, Nai'Rell Williams, and Kingston Benn
Idea: King Curbs is painting curbs with high visibility to improve address clarity for emergency services and delivery personnel.
Why it's crazy: Enhances safety and convenience by addressing a common issue with unclear addresses.
14. Mechanical Eraser Caps - Lycée Français de la Nouvelle-Orléans
Team member: Amelia Tilling
Idea: Mechanical Eraser Caps is wide-opening eraser caps for mechanical pencils that stay on, reducing waste and frustration.
Why it's crazy: A simple yet effective solution for a common problem, promoting sustainability and reducing pencil waste.
15. Verbindung – Chalmette High School
Team member: Ta'Janae Morris
Idea: Verbindung is a pet collar with a built-in tracker, instantly locating your lost companion through your phone.
Why it's crazy: Verbindung goes beyond collars for dogs and cats to include all animals, offering peace of mind for all pet owners, reuniting families with their beloved animal companions.
16. The Cup Saver - Chalmette High School
Team member: Mia Magee
Idea: The Cup Saver's ingenious rubber base cushions those angry throws, saving floors and parents' sanity from the wrath of thrown sippy cups.
Why it's crazy: Simple yet effective, The Cup Saver offers a practical solution to a common parenting struggle, bringing peace and cleanliness to mealtimes.