tHIRD L.E.O. IRONWORKS COMPETITION
Ramsey, NJ – The Leonidas Foundation is proud to announce that it has awarded $6,500 in collegiate scholarships as part of The L.E.O. Program’s third “Ironworks” Entrepreneurship Competition at Don Bosco Preparatory High School this evening.
The twenty-four senior students in the L.E.O. Program’s third cohort at Don Bosco Prep competed in a team-style competition similar to the popular television show, Shark Tank. Students were tasked with creating a new business idea that solves a common problem, formulating comprehensive marketing and substantive information about the product, and presenting their creations to a panel of real-life investors, known as “Sharks,” including leaders from the financial, legal, automotive, banking, and medical industries.
The products presented by the students and considered by the “Sharks” included:
The winning business idea selected by the “Sharks” was Bolt, whose team received $5,000.00 in scholarships from The Leonidas Foundation. The runner-up was 3D Funds, whose team members received $1,000 in scholarships gifts. Health4All, who earned the “Most Socially Responsible” awarding a total of $500 in scholarships from the Foundation.
“I am so proud of all of our teams’ business plans and having watched them grow their companies from brainstorming through every step of the entrepreneurial process, culminating in their final presentation to the panel of investors,” said Professor John Esposito, the L.E.O. Program’s teacher. “These young entrepreneurs showcased all they were taught and put the concepts into action to formulate incredible presentations this year.”
“The Leonidas Foundation is proud to reward these phenomenal young entrepreneurs with scholarship monies as part of the third annual ‘Ironworks’ event,” said President Matthew Perricone. “All in attendance were blown away with their comprehensive and thorough business plans and presentations, which highlighted their skills and talents acquired from the L.E.O. Program at Don Bosco Prep.”
The Leonidas Foundation was formed in 2016 following the passing of Don Bosco Prep alumnus Leonidas “Leo” Vagias, an avid business enthusiast who expressed his desire to be an entrepreneur from an early age.
“For the third consecutive year, our Don Bosco Prep L.E.O. Program students have taken the lessons taught in the classroom and implemented them into real life application,” said Teddy Vagias, Leo’s father, on behalf of the Vagias family. “The business plans varied in content but shared a common mastery of entrepreneurial principles while implementing classroom teachings to solve real world problems. I can think of no better way to honor Leo than to recognize these incredible business scholars.
The twenty-four senior students in the L.E.O. Program’s third cohort at Don Bosco Prep competed in a team-style competition similar to the popular television show, Shark Tank. Students were tasked with creating a new business idea that solves a common problem, formulating comprehensive marketing and substantive information about the product, and presenting their creations to a panel of real-life investors, known as “Sharks,” including leaders from the financial, legal, automotive, banking, and medical industries.
The products presented by the students and considered by the “Sharks” included:
- Bolt: maximizing personal device charging to increase efficiency;
- Avoid Allergy: a program to help people address allergens in food to identify ingredients harmful to them and alert family members and friends to potentially help them if consumed;
- Smart Spending: a financial education tool to provide advice regarding responsible spending and saving to help families plan their fiscal future;
- 3D Funds: a varied portfolio allowing investors to take advantage of crowdfunding and investment platforms to diversity their contributions; and
- Health4All: an all-in-one health kit devised to ensure maximum safety in COVID-19 through providing branded PPE in a thorough manner
The winning business idea selected by the “Sharks” was Bolt, whose team received $5,000.00 in scholarships from The Leonidas Foundation. The runner-up was 3D Funds, whose team members received $1,000 in scholarships gifts. Health4All, who earned the “Most Socially Responsible” awarding a total of $500 in scholarships from the Foundation.
“I am so proud of all of our teams’ business plans and having watched them grow their companies from brainstorming through every step of the entrepreneurial process, culminating in their final presentation to the panel of investors,” said Professor John Esposito, the L.E.O. Program’s teacher. “These young entrepreneurs showcased all they were taught and put the concepts into action to formulate incredible presentations this year.”
“The Leonidas Foundation is proud to reward these phenomenal young entrepreneurs with scholarship monies as part of the third annual ‘Ironworks’ event,” said President Matthew Perricone. “All in attendance were blown away with their comprehensive and thorough business plans and presentations, which highlighted their skills and talents acquired from the L.E.O. Program at Don Bosco Prep.”
The Leonidas Foundation was formed in 2016 following the passing of Don Bosco Prep alumnus Leonidas “Leo” Vagias, an avid business enthusiast who expressed his desire to be an entrepreneur from an early age.
“For the third consecutive year, our Don Bosco Prep L.E.O. Program students have taken the lessons taught in the classroom and implemented them into real life application,” said Teddy Vagias, Leo’s father, on behalf of the Vagias family. “The business plans varied in content but shared a common mastery of entrepreneurial principles while implementing classroom teachings to solve real world problems. I can think of no better way to honor Leo than to recognize these incredible business scholars.
