2014 YEF Award Winners

In 2014, the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation awarded 100 Young Entrepreneur Award Scholarships to students across the country. Each award is between $1,000 and $15,000. Students who received the Young Entrepreneur Award are seniors in high school who own and/or operate their own small business. The scholarships are used to help with tuition costs for the winners’ post-secondary education. NFIB’s Young Entrepreneur Foundation awarded $145,000 to deserving young entrepreneurs in 2014.

NFIB Announces:

The 2014 Top 5 National Finalists:

  • Anna Erkalova of Chalfont, PA – Crane Books, LLC
  • Cody Gradert of Ireton, IA – Gradert and Sons
  • LeiLei Secor of Hagaman, NY – Designed By Lei [Background video | Reaction video]
  • Vivek Tedla of Newtown, CT – VRT Studios
  • Zach Haney of Topeka, KS – Kansas Carnival Supply, LLC [Background video | Reaction video]
 

 

 

Watch the 2014 YEF slideshow
Watch the 2014 YEF slideshow

 

Thank you to all who applied for a 2014 scholarship. The full list of winners is below.

Alabama

  • Kamren Kennedy (Birmingham): NFIB/Alabama Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Levi Worley (Opp): NFIB/Bob Riley Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Daniel Whitworth (Orange Beach): NFIB/Governor Robert Bentley Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Mary Connell (Birmingham): NFIB/Phyllis Kennedy Young Entrepreneur Award

Arizona

  • Jake Deichmann (Scottsdale): NFIB/Insearch Charitable Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Ross Snyder (Phoenix): NFIB/Insearch Charitable Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Hayden Taylor (Mesa): NFIB/Lafarge Arizona Aggregates Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Adam Husser (Phoenix): NFIB/Vulcan Materials Company Young Entrepreneur Award

Arkansas

  • William Bland (Fort Smith): NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Nathan Dunn (Little Rock): NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award

California

  • Dafeng Ou (Castro Valley): NFIB/California Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Andrew Erickson (San Diego): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Matthew Southwick (Cottonwood): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Gary-Xi Su (Oakland): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Gianna Walker (North Hollywood): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jacinta Lu (Diamond Bar): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jacob Staitman (Woodland Hills): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award

Colorado

  • Kayley Brown (Castle Rock): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Devyn Doctor (Pagosa Springs): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Devon Fox (Wheat Ridge): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Ty Cary (Montrose): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jacob Wheat (Montrose): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Morgan Smith (Colorado Springs): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Milo Abrams-Hickman (Colorado Springs): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Sydney Buckley (Franktown): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Taylor Buckley (Franktown): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Ryan Lupberger (Boulder): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Alan Chen (Highlands Ranch): NFIB/Colorado Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award

Connecticut

  • Vivek Tedla (Newtown): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
  • Jacqueline LeGree (Waterbury): NFIB/Connecticut Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Michael Zarlenga (Fairfield): NFIB/Horizon Services Young Entrepreneur Award

Florida

  • Bryan Weissman (Parkland): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award

Georgia

  • Courtney Peplin (Buford): NFIB/American General Life and Accident Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Addie Thomason (Martin): NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Chosen Blakey (Smyrna): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Olivia Kasper (Alpharetta): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award

Idaho

  • Jacob Robertson (Coeur D’Alene): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award

Illinois

  • Brooke Reynolds (South Elgin): NFIB/JLBG Health Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jessica Fox (Palos Hills): NFIB/Kathy and Richard Duffy Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Adam Rogutich (Union): NFIB/Lloyd E. Falconer Young Entrepreneur Award

Indiana

  • Benjamin Ratts (Salem): NFIB/Stella Eckerly Young Entrepreneur Award

Iowa

  • Cody Gradert (Ireton): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist

Kansas

  • Zach Haney (Topeka): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
    Kurt Summers, Dan Danner and Zach Haney
    Kurt Summers, NFIB board member; Dan Danner, NFIB president & CEO; and Zach Haney (left to right)

Louisiana

  • Meredith Bechac (Hammond): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award

Maryland

  • Zac Moholt (Gaithersburg): NFIB/DDC Advocacy Young Entrepreneur Award

Massachusetts

  • Christian Fuda (Hull): NFIB/Massachusetts Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jesse Scheinbart (Westborough): NFIB/OPR Systems Inc. Young Entrepreneur Award

Michigan

  • David Kallgren (Trenton): NFIB/Bartram D. and Jane I. Lewis Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Alexander Parker (Rockford): NFIB/Michigan Leadership Council & Area Action Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Timothy Miller (Standish): NFIB/Michigan Leadership Council & Area Action Council Young Entrepreneur Award

Minnesota

  • Brit Loftus (Minneapolis): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award

Missouri

  • Aliyah Wilson (Florissant): NFIB/BizUnite Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jesse Hollenbeck (Troy): NFIB/BizUnite Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Morgan Mechelke (Kirkwood): NFIB/BizUnite Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Colton Saunders (Savannah): NFIB/DECA Young Entrepreneur Award
  • McKenna Nelson (Macon): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Hannah Tyler (Sikeston): NFIB/Runser/Benish Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award

Montana

  • Cody Campbell (Bozeman): NFIB/Pacific Source Health Plans Young Entrepreneur Award

Nebraska

  • Tayler Sundermann (Omaha): NFIB/First National Bank of Omaha Young Entrepreneur Award

New Hampshire

  • Anjithaa Radakrishnan (Nashua): NFIB/Alan D. Greenberg Young Entrepreneur Award

New York

  • LeiLei Secor (Hagaman): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
    Kurt Summers, LeiLei Secor; and Dan Danner
    Kurt Summers, NFIB board member; LeiLei Secor; and NFIB president & CEO Dan Danner. (left to right)
 
  • Kasien Sandy (Brooklyn): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Bradley Kreppel (Clarence): NFIB/J. Andrew Lange Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jesse Urban (North Salem): NFIB/J. Andrew Lange Young Entrepreneur Award

North Carolina

  • Molly Fox (Raleigh): NFIB/North Carolina Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Austin Williams (Harrisburg): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award

Ohio

  • Ryan Kemper (Fort Jennings): NFIB/AHIP Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Brandon Glassmeyer (Cincinnati): NFIB/Daniel J. Mirto Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Nicholas Paterniti (Chesterland): NFIB/Daniel J. Mirto Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Connor Rouan (Cincinnati): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Megan Ward (New Carlisle): NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award

Oklahoma

  • Blake Langston (Ponca City): NFIB/Harold Cogman Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Gabrielle Ramnarine (Tulsa): NFIB/Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award

Oregon

  • Selena Gregory (Eugene): NFIB/Oregon Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Victoria Pence (Beaverton): NFIB/Mr. Rooter Plumbing Young Entrepreneur Award

Pennsylvania

  • Anna Erkalova (Chalfont): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
  • Nicholas Rose (Havertown): NFIB/FBLA Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Drew Harding (Dallas): NFIB/Kathleen V. Shivers Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Brianna Boyer (Shrewsbury): NFIB/Reinhardt Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Oscar Winters (Lewisberry): NFIB/Reinhardt Young Entrepreneur Award

South Carolina

  • Kristina Friend (Goose Creek): NFIB/Intuit Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Alex Vibber (Blythewood): NFIB/June Lennon Young Entrepreneur Award

Tennessee

  • Jackson Schmid (Knoxville): NFIB/Southern Champion Tray Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jamie Pratt (Knoxville): NFIB/SunTrust Banks Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Mitchell Stooksbury (Powell): NFIB/SunTrust Banks Young Entrepreneur Award
  • McKenzie Babb (Franklin): NFIB/Tennessee Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award

Texas

  • Grace Cirelli (Houston): NFIB/Donald F Summers Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Joseph Hartshorn (Frisco): NFIB/Eddie Boykin Young Entrepreneur Award

Utah

  • Courtney Christensen (Payson): NFIB/Utah Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award

Vermont

  • Austin Lafayette (Bristol): NFIB/Alan D. Greenberg Young Entrepreneur Award

Virginia

  • Nicole Nicholson (Lynchburg): NFIB/BF Dodson Family Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jack Ross (Alexandria): NFIB/CPS Professional Services Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Alyssa Alpino (Williamsburg): NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Akila Prayaga (Vienna): NFIB/Virgina Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Nicole Bain (Fairfax): NFIB/Wiley Rein Young Entrepreneur Award

Washington

  • Carolyn van der Meulen (Mukilteo): NFIB/Betty & Steve Neighbors Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Emily George (Moxee): NFIB/Tsillan Cellars Young Entrepreneur Award 
  • Madison Laycock (Issaquah): NFIB/Washington State Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
  • Jordan Jessen (Tacoma): NFIB/DeWils Industries Young Entrepreneur Award 

Wyoming

  • Alexandra Kooper (Sheridan): NFIB/Captel Teleservices Young Entrepreneur Award

2014 Top 5 Finalists for Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award from NFIB
Kurt Summers, Vivek Tedla, LeiLei Secor, Anna Erkalova, Cody Gradert, Zach Haney and Dan Danner (left to right)

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Kurt Summers, LeiLei Secor; and Dan Danner Kurt Summers, NFIB board member; LeiLei Secor; and NFIB president & CEO Dan Danner. (left to right)

Kurt Summers, Dan Danner and Zach Haney Kurt Summers, NFIB board member; Dan Danner, NFIB president & CEO; and Zach Haney (left to right)

 

 

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