Southern Fried young entrepreneurs headed to NYC to work their magic
October 5, 2015
CHARLESTON, SC – Two lowcountry young entrepreneurs get their chance to pitch their business plans in a Shark Tank like setting competing for the grand prize of $35,000 next week. Connor Simonson and Caleb Milligan are among the top thirty-six students in the country to compete in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship’s National Challenge in New York City on October 6th. Connor and Caleb placed first and second respectively in the YEScarolina Mark Motley State Business Plan Competition on June 17th in the heart of downtown Charleston winning seed money in the thousands plus advancing them to Nationals.
Connor Simonson from Wando High School is an avid sports enthusiast, specifically for the sport of lacrosse. Born and raised in Seattle, Connor found his passion for lacrosse in the fourth grade. He continues to share that passion with men and women of all ages within the lacrosse community through his professional stringing and dying business called, Deep Fried Dyes. Connor full heartedly believes in the saying “If you do what you love, you’ll never work a day in your life.” However it doesn’t stop there, Connor hopes to ultimately grow the game and become the face of Southern lacrosse.
Connor Simonson
“Everyone has a dream. Some choose to pursue theirs and unfortunately others just don’t. For me I found my dream at the young age of three; that’s when I received my very first magic kit. But it wasn’t until I took the NFTE/YEScarolina course at West Ashley High School that I would learn this dream of mine had the potential to become the profitable brand that it is today.” Magician, Caleb Milligan, otherwise known as Caleb Alexander: The Next Generation of Magic is determined to revolutionize the art form of magic and become the next big name of his generation. Caleb not only enjoys performing his innovative magic shows, he is passionate about the growth of his business, which he sees with the Official Caleb Alexander Magic Kit and other merchandise.
Caleb Milligan
Another part of the competition is the elevator pitch video challenge with the prize of $2,500 for the most unique votes. In addition, NFTE gives a prize for most creative marketing tactics, which YEScarolina student, Aquila Brown, won in 2013. The community is encouraged to vote for these young entrepreneurs until the competition ends on Saturday, October 3rd.
“Something that I’ve learned in life is that when you fully invest yourself into whatever you’re doing, that’s when you are going to get the best outcome,” says Connor. Both Connor and Caleb have been working incredibly hard to show their best at the NFTE National Competition, an opportunity of a lifetime. Connor and Caleb are winners for making it this far, but now the waiting begins to see who will bring home the big check.
About YEScarolina
YEScarolina, a 501(c)3 non-profit, is the only organization in the state of South Carolina dedicated to teaching youth the principles of entrepreneurship and free enterprise. YEScarolina has helped thousands of young people from communities statewide build business skills and unlock their entrepreneurial creativity. To date, YEScarolina has trained and certified over 825 South Carolina teachers, free of charge, on the subject of entrepreneurship. These educators in turn have touched and inspired thousands of young South Carolinians with a thirst for entrepreneurship. Contact Harriett Lee for more information [email protected] or 843-556-1909.
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