Ten years ago, PayPal made a commitment to invest in the next generation of entrepreneurs by partnering with the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), a global nonprofit dedicated to bringing entrepreneurship education to young people. This spring, that commitment was on full display at PayPal's Chicago site where nearly 70 students, educators, parents, and community leaders gathered for the NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase, part of the NFTE's Midwest Regional Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and PayPal's global volunteer program, PayPal Volunteer Days.
PayPal employees volunteered as coaches and judges, guiding student entrepreneurs through a day of immersive coaching, peer learning, and live pitches.
Winners and judges of the NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase in Chicago.
Three finalists from Thornwood High School took home top honors:
- 1st place – Malik Oladokun, Helply: A social platform that uses AI to connect students with local community needs, making service visible, collaborative, and rewarding.
- 2nd place – Jaylen Moore, Hydro Sleeve: A smart compression arm sleeve with an electrochemical sweat sensor that tracks athlete hydration in real time, changing color to signal status.
- 3rd place – Navelle Drake, Beat Build: A line of headphones designed to reduce hearing aid stigma, integrating with existing devices and a connected app to help users hear better and stay connected.
|
PayPal's Chicago office played host to the NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase,
with employees volunteering their time.
|
Judges for the NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase at the PayPal Chicago site.
|
All three finalists advance to the NFTE's national finals in New York City.
Since 2015, PayPal has contributed $1.7 million to the NFTE and mobilized nearly 3,000 volunteers who have logged more than 6,200 hours of service across major U.S. markets. Through the NFTE Founders Forum, a small business accelerator launched in 2019, nearly 100 NFTE entrepreneurs have received support to polish their ideas, develop business plans, and sharpen their presentation skills.
“Supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs is just one way we are working toward PayPal's goal of helping 25 million people and small businesses thrive in the digital economy by 2030,” says Taylor Lewis, a PayPal employee who volunteered at the event. “Through partnerships like the NFTE, we can equip young people with the skills and confidence to succeed while creating meaningful volunteer opportunities for our employees to make a direct impact in their communities.”
The NFTE, founded in 1987, serves approximately 75,000 young people each year through in-school and out-of-school programs. Its outcomes speak for themselves: 80% of students increase their interest in entrepreneurship after completing a program, 74% gain confidence in entrepreneurial skills, and one in four alumni go on to start a business.
For PayPal, events like the Chicago Showcase are an expression of a core commitment that has only deepened over ten years: expanding economic opportunity for the next generation – whether they go on to launch a company, enter the workforce, or pursue higher education.