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BrightSTEM: Igniting Innovation through Entrepreneurship

By Aishwarya Singh, Carnegie Vanguard High School, School Buzz Reporter | January 2, 2025

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Vyshnavi Kadiyala, Crystal Zhang, Shiloh Ngumbu, and Olumide Adeyeri

BrightSTEM competed at Junior Achievement’s EnTEENpreneur Conference, earned 2nd place, and secured $750 to fuel their mission of inspiring the next generation of STEM leaders. From left: Vyshnavi Kadiyala, Crystal Zhang, Shiloh Ngumbu, and Olumide Adeyeri. (Picture courtesy of King Adeyeri)

Carnegie Vanguard’s JA Entrepreneurship Club is an inspiring hub for young visionaries, offering students a platform to explore the art of entrepreneurship through Junior Achievement’s student programs. This club immerses members in the exciting world of business, teaching essential skills like market research, product development, financial planning, and marketing strategies.

Through hands-on projects, students bring their ideas to life, creating mock companies and engaging in simulated business challenges that mirror real-world scenarios. Guided by mentorship from local entrepreneurs and business professionals, participants gain invaluable insights and advice, fostering growth and confidence. Seamlessly integrated into Junior Achievement’s broader curriculum, including the transformative JA Company Program, this club empowers students to dream big, innovate boldly, and embrace the thrill of building something extraordinary.

This year, our students launched BrightSTEM, a company dedicated to making STEM education accessible to youth everywhere. Their product, Bright Boxes, offers hands-on experiment kits such as slime kits, DNA extraction kits, and volcano kits. Complementing these is Bright Futures, an extensive video library showcasing a diverse range of STEM careers through interviews with full-time professionals, inspiring kids to explore and envision their futures. Our students are currently participating in pitching contests, presenting their innovative products to showcase their value and impact.

Two weeks ago, they competed at Houston’s premier entrepreneurship hub, The Cannon, against six talented teams from The Village School. As special guests, they pitched their company, BrightSTEM, and were thrilled to win Best Pitch! This achievement secured $100 in capital and a one-hour business design consultation with Delhi Dust. The event also offered invaluable networking opportunities with Ice Venkatesh, founder and CEO of Lemonade with Ice, and Audrey Ajakaye, founder and CEO of Audaja Skin. Building on this momentum, BrightSTEM recently showcased their innovative vision at Junior Achievement’s EnTEENpreneur Conference, taking on 24 teams from across the Greater Houston area.

Hosted at the Phillips 66 Global Headquarters, the competition provided the perfect stage to debut BrightSTEM – a company sparking excitement for STEM careers through Bright Boxes (hands-on science and engineering experiment kits) and Bright Futures (a free mentorship program for middle schoolers). Their impressive performance in both the semifinal and final rounds earned them 2nd place overall and a $750 prize to fuel their business operations. We are incredibly proud of their achievements – here’s to more victories and a bright future for the Carnegie company!