PHILADELPHIA – May 5, 2023 – On April 28, FS Investments hosted Philadelphia Financial Scholars, a nonprofit organization that partners with local high schools to provide personal finance and entrepreneurship education, for the 2023 Citywide Business Pitch Competition. Six finalists were selected by panels of local business leaders and entrepreneurs to compete for a $1,000 investment in their business idea.
“We remain deeply committed to supporting personal finance and entrepreneurship education”
— Mike Gerber, Philadelphia Financial Scholars founder and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer at FS Investments
FS Investments employees were invited to join the student competitors and their families at the pitch competition. Teachers and students from all 19 Philadelphia Financial Scholars schools attended to watch and support their peers in the competition. Four area business leaders served as judges for the competition, Linda Chadwick, President & CEO of Rita’s Italian Ice; Iola Harper, Senior Executive Vice President of The Enterprise Center; Nicodemus Madehou, Founder of JumpButton Studio; and Anne Nadol, Commerce Director of the City of Philadelphia.
TECH Freire Charter School senior, Wyleah Coplin, won the grand prize with her natural haircare shop pitch. Runner-up prizes were awarded to Steven Young and Nia Williams from George Washington Carver High School of Engineering and Science, who pitched an urban gardening program, and Hakim Carter from Boys’ Latin of Philadelphia Charter School, whose apparel company has attained global reach through successful social media marketing.
“This competition is an excellent opportunity for students to demonstrate the skills they have learned throughout the program and to showcase their innovative business ideas. Wyleah is a star and I can’t wait to see her fulfill her dream of opening a brick and mortar natural haircare shop called Luxury Beauty Bar someday.”
— Kerry Woodward, Executive Director of Philadelphia Financial Scholars
For more information on the Philadelphia Financial Scholars program, visit https://philadelphia.financialscholars.org/about/