It's National Entrepreneurship Month! NFTE hosted its fourth annual World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on November 20 at the Delegates Dining Room at the U.N. in New York City. The event brought together 34 student entrepreneurs representing 13 countries to pitch business ideas. To celebrate youth-led innovation this month, NFTE released a global report on Youth Entrepreneurship Day (November 7). Explore to learn how entrepreneurship is being taught worldwide and its impact on education and economic opportunity. Then, meet our world champions and see which states and municipalities recognized Youth Entrepreneurship Day.

To truly fuel the future, we must see youth entrepreneurship as a key to improving education and tackling inequity. In a fast-changing world, it’s young people with the mindset to navigate uncertainty who will create new opportunities.

Entrepreneurial education drives economic mobility, deeper learning, and resilient communities. It helps youth see possibilities, take initiative, and develop skills that last a lifetime. They begin to see possibilities where others see barriers. They take initiative, collaborate, and innovate.

I saw young innovators flex these skills at our World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge. When witnessing teens pitch a digital twin for water networks to save water or a unique cooling system to preserve vaccinations and reduce waste, this much is clear: the impact of equitable access to entrepreneurial learning can ripple across communities and economies.

We explore this in our global report released on November 7 for Youth Entrepreneurship Day. Fueling the Future: The Global Impact of Inspiring
Youth Innovation highlights how investing in entrepreneurship education beyond curriculum can unlock real potential in young learners. It emphasizes the importance of teacher training, flexible program models, and repeated opportunities for students, especially those often overlooked, to practice entrepreneurial skills.

NFTE knows classrooms and youth-serving organizations are powerful launchpads for entrepreneurial learning. Therefore, we're urging policymakers to invest in youth entrepreneurship for a more equitable, opportunity-rich world. We invite you to contact policy@nfte.com and join our collaborative work to expand access to the entrepreneurial mindset so all youth can excel in and outside of the classroom.

This year’s world champion title was awarded to Carla McDonnell, representing Foróige in Ireland, for her venture Vax Chill, a compact cooling solution designed to preserve livestock vaccines and reduce wastage in rural farms. McDonnell received a $5,000 grand prize to continue developing her enterprise. The 2025 challenge brought together students across NFTE’s Global Innovation Network, including Adrian Bautista and Evan Perez from Rhode Island, winners of NFTE’s U.S. National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge with their business Color Your Life.

Two additional ventures earned finalist honors and $1,000 prizes: Optimal Optics from Đỗ Đức Anh Lê and Mai Anh Lê of Global Citizen Vietnam, a smart eyewear concept integrating robotics, AI, and health innovation; and Tláloc from Carlos Morret of Fundación E Mexico, a digital twin for water networks designed to conserve water.

Winners were selected by a distinguished panel of judges: Stephen Ho (EY-Parthenon), Emilia A. Ottoo (NFTE alumna, Fox Archives), Rich Porter (Venmo/PayPal), Blain Rethmeier (Aramco Americas), Vinny Romano (Goldman Sachs), and Tien Tzuo (Zuora).

The competition was presented by Ernst & Young LLP (EY US), PayPal, and Zuora, with support from Certiport and UBS. Special thanks to emcee and NFTE alumna Angela Zhou, Technical Product Manager at Rokt (NFTE Class of 2014).

Meet the NFTE Global Programs team, including Cheyanne Ornelas (World Series of Innovation Program Manager, second from left), Stephanie Alvarado (Director, Global Programs), Hicham Zemmahi (Global Programs Success Manager), and Gaby Andrews (Sr. Manager, Special Projects & Global Operations). This dynamic team, joined by Victor Martinez (Southeast Programs Manager, far left), led the three-day World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, which included intensive workshops and mentoring that prepared competitors to excel on the global stage on the final day. Through their efforts, NFTE continues to drive a global movement for equitable access to entrepreneurship education—one innovative young entrepreneur at a time. Alvarado praised her team for expanding the Global Innovation Network to 39 members this year and for engaging thousands of educators and students worldwide. She added:

“I’m so proud of what this team has accomplished! Leading NFTE’s World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge shows their passion for opening doors for youth and our shared commitment to making entrepreneurship education accessible to all.”

NFTE’s third annual Youth Entrepreneurship Day on November 7 honored the creativity and resilience of young entrepreneurs. First recognized nationally in 2023 by NFTE, this annual call to action promotes expanded access to entrepreneurship education worldwide.

Momentum continues with proclamations and official recognitions from the governors of Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, Virginia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Indiana and Texas, and from the mayors of Philadelphia; Baltimore; Providence; Washington, D.C.; Jacksonville, Florida; and Springfield, Massachusetts. It’s not too late to join the movement! Host events, share success stories, support youth-led businesses, volunteer at volunteer.nfte.com, or donate at nfte.com/fuelafuture.

Thanks to American Student Assistance (ASA), every new or increased donation earns a 25% match, up to $2 million. Intuit is celebrating with Youth Entrepreneurship Summits, its expanded Food Truck program and free access to its Entrepreneurial Finance Curriculum. Because NFTE is a Points Transfer Partner on thankyou.com, Citi cardholders can donate ThankYou Points to NFTE.

Congrats to Juline Abdo, this month’s NFTE Voices: Educator Spotlight! The annual Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge series highlights the NFTE Teacher Corps’ pivotal role in advancing entrepreneurship education and igniting innovation in the classroom. For four years at Amal Nazareth in Israel, Juline has inspired students to creatively tackle real-world problems. Her students have earned national recognition for projects like smart safety systems, tech-enabled medicine boxes, and salon preview apps. Amal Nazareth is part of Unistream—a member of NFTE's Global Innovation Network that equips students with the skills, mindset, and experiences they need to lead change and shape their future.

“Each year, we develop an original entrepreneurial idea born out of a real need from our surroundings. My students consistently achieve impressive results, including second and third places in the national NFTE competitions, which fills me with immense pride.”

A collective cheer for Class of 2007 NFTE alum Evin Floyd Robinson, co-founder and president of America On Tech (AOT). The nonprofit recently received $2.5 million from Google.org to expand access to AI education nationwide. The investment will help scale tuition-free tech training, paid internships and mentorship opportunities to prepare students for careers in the innovation economy.

“Google’s investment is an amplifier and testament to the importance of future tech talent,” Robinson said. Over the past decade, AOT has served more than 5,300 students, facilitated 1,000 paid internships and seen 85% of alumni pursue tech-related degrees or careers. Congratulations, Evin!

This month, we’re proud to shine our corporate spotlight on Ernst & Young LLP (EY US). As part of EY Connect Day, a firmwide volunteer day of service, EY US professionals coached NFTE students on business ideas through the World Series of Innovation Responsible AI Challenge. Additionally this month, Solonia Allen, NFTE alumna and founder of ALMNDMLK, had the incredible opportunity to share her inspiring journey at the 2025 EY Strategic Growth Forum® where she was featured among visionary CEOs and entrepreneurs. Solonia addressed an audience of top-tier Fortune 1000 executives and leading investment minds reimagining and shaping the future of business.

The 2025-2026 season of NFTE's World Series of Innovation (WSI) is underway. WSI invites young people to tackle some of the world’s biggest challenges and help advance the UN Sustainable Development Goals. There are two tracks of competition: Imagination League for innovators ages 5-12 and the Impact League for ages 13-24. Students can enter now for a chance to win prizes! The deadline is December 12. Don't forget to sign up to volunteer.

Calling all NFTE alumni with a business that's ready to launch or scale! NFTE's annual Founders Forum is an opportunity for alumni worldwide to participate in a 10-week virtual incubator designed to support viable startups. The program runs January-March 2026. To further develop your business, learn from mentors, prepare for investment and directly connect with potential investors, reserve your seat by December 12.

New & Veteran Educators are invited to take these MINDSET MAKERS professional development courses on Wednesdays at 8 p.m. ET: