Press Release: Loudoun High Schooler Earns Top Honors in 10th Anniversary of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy
Lansdowne, VA – The Loudoun Chamber’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Class of 2025 held its 10th Annual Graduation ceremony on Tuesday, May 5, 2026.
Presented by the Loudoun Chamber Foundation and the Loudoun Economic Development Authority, YEA! Loudoun is a 7-month program that teaches local middle and high school students how to develop, pitch, and launch their very own business.
The 10th Annual Investor Panel was held on April 21, 2026, where 23 local student entrepreneurs pitched their businesses and nonprofit startups to a panel of investors and local business leaders. Similar to the hit show “Shark Tank,” these student entrepreneurs competed for $5,000 in investment capital.
“Our Young Entrepreneurs worked very hard to develop their raw ideas into real, investment-worthy small businesses and nonprofits. They learned valuable skills about every area of entrepreneurship, including pitching their business plans to investors. These skills will serve them well, regardless of where their future education and career paths take them,” said Loudoun Chamber President Tony Howard.
The Investor Panel Winners for the Class of 2026 are:
$1,500 – Haasya Juvvadi, Lightridge High School
Indevo – An at-home rehabilitation glove.
$1,000 – Imaan Virani, Cooper Middle School
Pawtify – An AI receptionist built for veterinary clinics.
$1,000 – Arav Daryani, Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology
Skintuary – A personalized and adaptive skin assistant.
$500 – Taanvi Annapureddy, Freedom High School
PREMA Jewelry – Indo-Western jewelry business.
$500 – Ayah Ahmad, Heritage High School
Alara – An active headscarf.
$500 – Ishita Bhanot, John Champe High School & Academies of Loudoun
Illuminate –A smart hydration water bottle with app tracking and LED reminders for improving everyday wellness.
This year’s YEA! Investor Panelists were:
- Scott Hamberger, Economic Development Authority of Loudoun, VA,
- Casey Veatch, Economic Development Authority of Loudoun, VA,
- Manoj Thakkar, AWS,
- Sergio Chavez, Claude Moore Charitable Foundation,
- Carol Barbe, Backflow Technology, LLC
- Jeff Powell, Strongbridge LLC,
- Natasha Magrath, You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia, and
- Scott Loftis, Atlantic Union Bank.
The 2026 class instructors consist of business and nonprofit leaders who selflessly dedicated their time to teaching these students the important factors that go into running a business.
- Kaitlyn Argiro, Pawsitivity Pet Services
- Kindra Dionne, Purpose Worx, LLC
- John Mead, MVA Wellness
- Kelly Robucci, Business Leader
- Allison Wood, Town of Leesburg
Applications are now open for the Class of 2027, which will begin in October. More information can be found at www.LoudounChamber.org/YEA.
The Loudoun Young Entrepreneurs Academy is presented in partnership with Loudoun Economic Development Authority. Platinum Sponsors: AWS, Claude Moore Charitable Foundation, Google, and Nikki Daruwala; Investor Panel Sponsors: Backflow Technology, PNC Bank, Strongbridge LLC, and You’ve Got Maids of Northern Virginia; Personal Sponsor, Scott Loftis; Scholarship Sponsors: Motiv8 Consulting, Northwest Federal Credit Union, and Northwest Federal Credit Union Foundation; CEO Roundtable Sponsor: The CEO Woman; YEA! Supporters: Worldgate, LLC and Zwiesel Fortessa. Graduation Sponsor: Belmont Country Club; Photography Sponsor: Blue Lion Multimedia; Balloon Sponsor: NOVA Parties; Supporters include The Building People, Loudoun County Public Schools, Loudoun Youth, Loudoun County Department of Economic Development, and Venture X Loudoun-Ashburn.
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