Staten Island SBDC helps select winner at Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Investor Panel

Staten Island Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Director (far right) poses with judges and participants at the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) annual Investor Panel event. (Photo by Visiontech)

Staten Island Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Director Michael Anderson was one of six judges who helped determine the winner at the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) annual Investor Panel event.

The Shark Tank-style competition boasted 22 student entrepreneurs from 11 Staten Island high schools who pitched their original business concepts to the panel. Students competed for actual funding to launch or grow their ventures, with awards being awarded to every participant ranging from $200 to $2,000.

No in its 12^th year, the Staten Island SBDC plays a vital role in the YEA! Program. This year, Anderson – along with Senior Certified Business Advisor Joe Bottega and Certified Business Advisor Joe Muller – visited the class to provide business advice and offer marketing research for their business plans. When each student completed their business plan, Bottega, Muller, and Marketing Advisor Bonnie Arciero reviewed those plans and made edits. Since the Staten Island SBDC is an Investor Panel sponsor, Anderson then served as a judge for the panel.

Rami Rifi, from Staten Island Academy, earned top honors for his nonprofit venture Play Passion Project. A 501(c)(3) organization founded in January 2025, Play Passion Project collects and distributes footwear to individuals in need, addressing a critical gap in the charitable footwear and youth empowerment space that Rifi identified through personal experience and research. Rifi received his full funding ask of $1,975 and will represent Staten Island as a Saunders Scholar Semi-Finalist at the YEA! National Competition in Frisco, Texas in June.

To read a full recap and view more photos, visit https://www.sichamber.com/news/investor-panel

Staten Island Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Director (standing on left) poses with the other judges at the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) annual Investor Panel event. (Photo by Visiontech)

Staten Island Small Business Development Center (SBDC) Regional Director (left) reviews his notes at the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) annual Investor Panel event. (Photo by Visiontech)