American Heritage Schools Announces Winners Of 2025 Business And Entrepreneurship Competition Finals

These aspiring entrepreneurs, students from both Palm Beach and Broward campuses, are all enrolled in an advanced Business and Entrepreneurship curriculum modeled after Harvard Business Review materials. Each delivered polished pitches for their student-created companies, either incorporated and close to entering the market, demonstrating creativity and entrepreneurial spirit in the competition finals.

The finals came after a year of preparation. The students, all Class of 2026 seniors, spent the full year developing their business ideas, starting in October 2024, in preparation for this competitive event.

The event opened with an introduction from Dr. Douglas Laurie, President of American Heritage Schools and Jonathan Fichman, business incubator instructor of the Business and Entrepreneurship Pre-Professional Program at American Heritage Schools. Students presented their ideas and faced rigorous Q&A sessions, gaining practical business and entrepreneurial experience. Cash prizes and trophies were awarded to the top three teams, recognizing their hard work and innovation, including:

Earning first place was Mobile Mart, a truck-style store offering a mobile, sustainable shopping option designed to reduce or eliminate packaging and food waste in communities, which was founded by Pranav Rai, Ava Weissman, Sophia Lary, Emily Weyenberg.

Second place was awarded to Wound Watch, a handheld ultrasound scanner that monitors surgical wound healing, providing detailed tissue regeneration insights for better postoperative care, created by students Margaret Trowbridge, Jaimin Patel, Noah Abel, Ananya Zaverchand, Laila Rozenburg.

The third-place team was BloomBee, a bee pollination device for both commercial and retail use, which included students Dylan Chen, Yunxiang Pan, Jiarui Li, Max Trachtenberg.

The esteemed judges’ panel consisted of top-tier industry leaders bringing expertise from various sectors to evaluate the pitches. Judges included Wael Barsoum, M.D., President and Chief Transformation Officer of HOPCo and Former CEO and President of Cleveland Clinic Florida; Tom Herskovits, Former President and CEO of Specialty Foods and Former President of Kraft/General Foods; Andrew Koenig, CEO of City Furniture; and Jim Ryan, a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist with over 25 years of experience in customer experience, call centers, research and technology solutions.

“Serving as a judge for the American Heritage Business Incubator Pitch Challenge Finals was an exceptional experience,” said Dr. Barsoum. “What sets this program apart is its emphasis on practical application. Students aren’t just learning concepts; they are putting them into action in a competitive, real-world pitch before leading CEOs, venture capitalists and founders. American Heritage Schools are fostering entrepreneurial thinking and empowering future leaders to realize that the American dream is attainable through innovation, dedication, and opportunity.”

“Congratulations to all participants. Each team showcased strategic thinking, creativity and knowledge of market dynamics and consumer needs. The ideas presented demonstrate strong potential to evolve into sustainable enterprises,” said Herskovits. “This event is a testament to American Heritage Schools’ commitment to providing a high-caliber, hands-on business education that bridges academic knowledge with entrepreneurial action.”

“Our second annual Business Incubator Pitch Challenge Finals was a tremendous success,” said Mr. Fichman. “It has been incredibly gratifying to witness the dedication, creativity and perseverance our students have shown throughout the year as they transformed their ideas into viable business ventures. The Business Incubator and AP Seminar courses at American Heritage were designed to empower students to think critically, embrace entrepreneurship, and tackle authentic business challenges. By presenting their ventures before a panel of distinguished industry leaders, students gain invaluable real-world experience, building the confidence, skills, and professional connections essential for future success.”

In 2023, American Heritage Schools introduced the Business Incubator & AP Seminar class, a unique opportunity for 11th graders to embark on a journey of discovery and creativity. The business side of the class focuses on ideation, invention/research and validation of the product idea; business planning; operationalizing the product idea; creation of financials; pitching/fundraising; marketing and sales. The AP part of the class prepares students for the AP Seminar exam through steady research and analysis and cross-curricular conversations that explore the complexities of academic and real-world topics and issues by analyzing divergent perspectives.

The course is co-taught by two experienced educators, Mr. Fichman, who leads the Business Incubator section and Kim Kimpton, Ed.D., College Advisor, who guides the AP Seminar curriculum.

To learn more about the Business Incubator course, visit: https://ahschool.info/ahs-business-incubator.

To learn more about the pre-professional programs at American Heritage, visit: https://www.ahschool.com/pre-professional-program.

About American Heritage Schools:

American Heritage Schools is a college-preparatory day school for students in PK3-12th grades, known for academic excellence and top rankings across multiple disciplines. With two 40-acre campuses, one in Broward County and another in Palm Beach County, American Heritage Schools provides a diverse and inclusive environment for almost 5,000 students from more than 100 countries. Dr. Douglas Laurie, a distinguished educator and visionary leader, is the President and Co-Owner of American Heritage Schools. American Heritage Schools is nationally and internationally accredited by the following associations: Association of Independent Schools of Florida (AISF), Middle States Association (MSA-CESS) and National Council for Private Schools, among others. The Lower School includes advanced classes and 15 electives, and the Upper School offers over 300 courses with 145 honors classes, 31 Advanced Placement classes, and 130 fine arts classes. Pre-professional programs are offered in Pre-Med, Pre-Law, Pre-Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Business & Entrepreneurship and Computer Science with classes taught daily by doctors, surgeons, lawyers, judges, engineers and computer scientists currently practicing in their fields. American Heritage Schools was named No. 1 Private K-12 School in Florida and No. 1 College Prep Private High School in Florida, according to: www.Niche.com, ranks as the No. 1 high school in Florida for the highest number of National Merit Scholars for 16 years, and the No. 1 school in Florida for the most Presidential Scholars. The Math Competition team is No. 1 out of all private schools in the nation, Model UN team is top 3 in the nation, and the Speech and Debate team is in the top 1% in the nation. In their recent "Book of Lists" rankings, South Florida Business Journal (SFBJ) recognized American Heritage Schools as No. 15 in Corporate Philanthropy in South Florida and No. 21 Largest Employer in South Florida.

For more information about American Heritage Schools, visit its website at: www.ahschool.com

Broward Campus: (954) 472-0022 - Extension#: 3021. Or email: admissions.broward@ahschool.com.

Palm Beach Campus: (561) 495-7272 - Extension#: 219. Or email: admissions.palmbeach@ahschool.com.