NFIB’s Young Entrepreneur Foundation awards 100 Young Entrepreneur Award Scholarships to students across the country! Each award is between $1,000 and $15,000. Students who receive the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Awards 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 $140,000 to deserving young entrepreneurs in 2015.
NFIB Announces:
-
The 2015 Young Entrepreneur of the Year and Dan Danner Leadership Award winners
- The 2015 Top 5 National Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalists (Press Release):
• Asya Gonzalez of Centennial, CO—Stinky Feet Gurlz [Business Profile]
• Joseph Hamilton of Lancaster, NY – Charlie and Checkers [Business Profile]
• Samuel Hendron of Scottsdale, AZ– Tech Gone Wild, LLC [Business Profile]
• Richard Main of New Philadelphia, OH – MainMan Cans, LLC [Business Profile]
• Emily Sorenson of Creighton, NE – Sorenson Farms [Business Profile]
Thank you to all who applied for a 2015 scholarship. The full list of winners is below.
Alabama
- Lacy McClung (Pelham): NFIB/Phyllis Kennedy Young Entrepreneur Award
- Lena Carter (Owen’s Cross): NFIB/Alabama Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Andrew Howell (Mobile): NFIB/Harvey Lester Barnett Young Entrepreneur Award
Arizona
- Jordan Brown (Tempe): NFIB/Insearch Charitable Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
- Samuel Hendren (Scottsdale): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
- Hannah Meyer (Laveen): NFIB/Insearch Charitable Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
- Lucas Tisland (Chandler): NFIB/Insearch Charitable Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
Arkansas
- Elijah Riley North (Little Rock): NFIB/VISA Young Entrepreneur Award
California
- Noah Levinson (Cardiff): NFIB/California Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Shayne Myers (Colusa): NFIB/California Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Shreya Ramayya (Rancho Palos): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
Colorado
- Natasha Breakall (Kiowa): NFIB/Bill and Kathy Hybl Young Entrepreneur Award
- Mackenzie Burgess (Woodland Park): NFIB/Colorado Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Asya Gonzalez (Centennial): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
- Breanna Hendricks (Springfield): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
- Austin Littlefield (Stoneham): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
- Adam Swanson (Wray): NFIB/Joe and Jerry Hybl Young Entrepreneur Award
- Chase Youngman (Castle Rock): NFIB/El Pomar Foundation Young Entrepreneur Award
Connecticut
- Matthew Garneau (South Windsor): NFIB/Connecticut Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
Florida
- Ashley Nordlinger (Wellington): NFIB/AIG Financial Network Young Entrepreneur Award
- Catalina Cheng (Odessa): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
Georgia
- Jared Sawyer (Decatur): NFIB/FBLA Young Entrepreneur Award
- Kelsie Nolan (Talking Rock): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
Illinois
- Kevin Chang (Elk Grove): Village NFIB/Lloyd E. Falconer Young Entrepreneur Award
- Benjamin Curtin (Stonington): NFIB/AHIP Young Entrepreneur Award
- Samuel Guenette (Chicago): NFIB/Kathy and Richard Duffy Young Entrepreneur Award
- Christopher North (Galva): NFIB/Amanda and Holly Austin Young Entrepreneur Award
- Hunter Sneed (Geneva): NFIB/Steven S. Stack Young Entrepreneur Award
Indiana
- Bradley Balber (Carmel) NFIB/David M. Ford Young Entrepreneur Award
- Alexander Gottwald (Carmel) NFIB/Element 212 Young Entrepreneur Award
- James Gregory (Liberty) NFIB/Loren King Young Entrepreneur Award
- Joseph Zirille (Fort Wayne) NFIB/Developer Town Young Entrepreneur Award
- Mitch Slaven (Shipshewana): NFIB/Edward J. Bowman Young Entrepreneur Award
Iowa
- Matthew Mitchell (Waukee): NFIB/Employers Young Entrepreneur Award
Kansas
- Lauren Hart (Overland Park): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
Maryland
- Trevor Kunz (Silver Spring): NFIB/DDC Advocacy Young Entrepreneur Award
- Evangeline Pergantis (Potomac): NFIB/DDC Advocacy Young Entrepreneur Award
- Hailey Courtney (Saverna Park): NFIB/Reinhardt Young Entreprenur Award
Massachusetts
- Ryan Gee (Scituate): NFIB/Massachusetts Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Aleric Heck (Chelmsford): NFIB/Alan D. Greenberg Young Entrepreneur Award
- Kate Romero (Raynham): NFIB/Office Paper Recovery Systems Young Entrepreneur Award
Michigan
- Brian Darr (Dexter): NFIB/Bartram D. and Jane I. Lewis Young Entrepreneur Award
- Austin Dudas (White Lake): NFIB/Spectrum Automation Young Entrepreneur Award
- Mackenzie Sturman (Allegan): NFIB/Michigan Leadership Council & Area Action Council Young Entrepreneur Award
Minnesota
- Abigail Donkers (Faribault): NFIB/Wells Fargo Young Entrepreneur Award
- Krista Kronlokken (Eden Prairie): NFIB/Avionte Young Entrepreneur Award
Mississippi
- Madeline Andrews (Biloxi): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
- Richard Gunnells (Tupela): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
Missouri
- Andy Biesiadecki (Kirkwood): NFIB/BizUnite Young Entrepreneur Award
- Kollin Knapp (St. Louis): NFIB/Alan D. Greenberg Young Entrepreneur Award
- Brandelyn Martin (Silex): NFIB/BizUnite Young Entrepreneur Award
- Dominique Wiedmaier (Maryville): NFIB/Runser/Benish Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Abigail English (Williamstown): NFIB/BizUnite Young Entrepreneur Award
Montana
- Layne Ryerson (Helena): NFIB/Betty & Steve Neighbors Young Entrepreneur Award
Nebraska
- Michael Hanssen (Plattsmouth) NFIB/First National Bank of Omaha Young Entrepreneur Award
- Emily Sorensen (Creighton) NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
New Hampshire
- Anjithaa Radakrishnan (Nashua): NFIB/Alan D. Greenberg Young Entrepreneur Award
New Jersey
- Luke Kearney (Franklin Lakes): NFIB/New Jersey Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
New York
- Sophia Arbuiso (Endicott): NFIB/J. Andrew Lange Young Entrepreneur Award
- Joseph Hamilton (Lancaster): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
North Carolina
- Agnes Hardenstine (Valdese): NFIB/North Carolina Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Anna Ward (Morrisville): NFIB/North Carolina Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
Ohio
- Sydney Jones (Lancaster): NFIB/Daniel J. Mirto Young Entrepreneur Award
- Richard Main (New Philadelphia): NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award Finalist
- Jack Webb (Grafton): NFIB/Daniel J. Mirto Young Entrepreneur Award
- Clair Coder (Toledo): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
- Sarah Lyons (North Olmsted): NFIB/Visa Young Entrepreneur Award
Oklahoma
- Forrest Hull (Tulsa): NFIB/Harold Cogman Young Entrepreneur Award
Oregon
- Charlotte Brattain (Keizer): NFIB/Willamette Valley Young Entrepreneur Award
- Miriam Frank (Bend): NFIB/Mr. Rooter Plumbing of Portland/Vancouver Young Entrepreneur Award
Pennsylvania
- Jasmin Leath (Blakeslee): NFIB/VISA Young Entrepreneur Award winner
- Matthew Poloway (East Stroudsburg): NFIB/National Captel Teleservices Young Entrepreneur Award
- Caitlin Wismer (Freidens): NFIB/Kathleen Shivers Young Entrepreneur Award
- Joel Copenhaver (York): NFIB/Reinhardt Young Entreprenur Award
South Carolina
- Robert Bruner (Orangeburg): NFIB/June Lennon Young Entrepreneur Award
Tennessee
- Grant Holden (Milan): NFIB/Tennessee Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Kirkland Schuler (Cordova): NFIB/SunTrust Banks Young Entrepreneur Award
- Logan Sizemore (Johnson City): NFIB/McKee Foods Young Entrepreneur Award
- Andrew Swafford (Pikeville): NFIB/SunTrust Banks Young Entrepreneur Award
- Marah Whitaker (Cleveland): NFIB/Southern Champion Tray Young Entrepreneur Award
Texas
- Daniel Bloom (Fort Worth): NFIB/Donald F Summers Young Entrepreneur Award
- Rebecca Grekin (Houston): NFIB/Eddie Boykin Young Entrepreneur Award
- Kushal Kadakia (Houston): NFIB/Eddie Boykin Young Entrepreneur Award
- Elizabeth Thorne (Arlington): NFIB/W.W. Cannon, Inc Young Entrepreneur Award
Virginia
- Sallie Blanks (Lynchburg): NFIB/BF Dodson Family Young Entrepreneur Award
- Cameryn Carr (Check): NFIB/John Galt Young Entrepreneur Award
- Ryan Ferguson (Ashburn): NFIB/Virgina Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Emma Oakley (Mechanicsville): NFIB/Virgina Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Emily Wills (Mechanicsville): NFIB/Wiley Rein Young Entrepreneur Award
- Hina Zafar (Fredericksburg): NFIB/Wiley Rein Young Entrepreneur Award
Washington
- Paul Brandt (Spokane): NFIB/Kelly and Jeff Chambers Young Entrepreneur Award
- Eli Everson (Silverdale): NFIB/Tsillan Cellars Young Entrepreneur Award
Wisconsin
- Rory Cerny (Greenfield): NFIB/KPMG Young Entrepreneur Award
- Jacob Ehlert (Pardeeville): NFIB/Innovations in Agricultural Entrepreneurship by ANIMART Young Entrepreneur Award
- Andrew Pfluger (Green Bay): NFIB/Wisconsin Leadership Council Young Entrepreneur Award
- Austin Solomon (Schofield): NFIB/Window Accessory Young Entrepreneur Award
- Evan Taber (Fremont): NFIB/DECA Young Entrepreneur Award
Wyoming
- Shade Frank (Cheyenne): NFIB/DeWils Industries Young Entrepreneur Award
- Tessa Garman (Sundance): NFIB/National Captel Teleservices Young Entrepreneur Award
