The Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) presented the Investor Panel event in Salisbury University’s Perdue School of Business Auditorium on Wednesday, April 5, 2017. The evening began with networking for the students and investors followed by student business presentations. 
The Investor Panel was the student’s time to shine in YEA!’s signature Shark Tank-like event. Fifteen student businesses pitched investors on their idea competing for start-up funding and in-kind gifts. The investors included Dr. Cathy Townsend, Wicomico County Board of Education, Dr. Memo Diriker, BEACON at Salisbury University, Chris Perdue, Perdue Farms, Sandy Fitzgerald-Angello, Pohanka Automotive Group, Donna Defino, Hebron Savings Bank, Kathleen McLain, 47ABC, Kevin Justice, M4Reactor & Matice, Brent Miller, SVN-Miller Commercial Real Estate and John Wasilisin, Maryland Technology Development Corporation.
The investors selected Alex Sewell, Brock Forsythe and Zander Forsythe with their business Moozik, to move on to the 2017 Saunders Scholars Semi-Finals. Moozik creates a sanitizing, 3D printed mouthpiece that efficiently cleans musical instruments. Alex is in 9th grade, Brock is in 11th grade and Zander is in 12th grade – all attending James M. Bennett High School. Moozik was funded $1,600.
Cole Cropper of Relax Pax was selected as the runner-up. Cole is in 11th grade at Parkside High School. Relax Pax sells customized gift boxes for sick children. Relax Pax was funded $1,300.
YEA!’s Saunders Scholars Regional Competition will be held in Rochester, NY in May where students from the region will compete for advancement to the Saunders Scholars Finals in June in Washington, D.C.
Attachments – 2017 Investor Panel Winners.jpg: Pictured left to right – Alex Sewell, Brock Forsythe & Zander Forsythe of Moozik
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2017 Investor Panel Runner-Up.jpg: Cole Cropper of Relax Pax.
YEA! 2017 Class at Investor Panel.jpg: YEA! class at the 2017 Investor Panel event.
2017 Investor Panel Judges.jpg: Investors at the 2017 Investor Panel event.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!)
The YEA! program hosted by the Salisbury Area Chamber of Commerce takes students between the ages of 11 and 18 through the process of starting and launching a real business or social movement over the course of an academic year. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully-formed and functioning businesses, which may be carried on after their graduation from the program. The YEA! program is hosted at the Wicomico Public Library’s Entrepreneur Center and will run through May. The 2017 class is the 2nd YEA! class hosted by the Salisbury Chamber.
