Teen Innovators Gather At NJIT To Share Ideas, Network At ‘Entrepreneurathon’

NEWARK, NJ — Dozens of young innovators from New Jersey recently gathered to pitch their startup ideas to a panel of industry leaders, getting some big tips on what it takes to succeed in the business world along the way.

The National Young Leaders Association (NYLA), in collaboration with the New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) in Newark, recently hosted the inaugural 2025 Entrepreneurathon – a full-day event aimed at “empowering the next generation of high school entrepreneurs.”

The event brought together more than 60 students from across New Jersey, including participants from Newark’s Link Community Charter School, Chatham High School, John P. Stevens High School and The Pingry School.

The Entrepreneurathon featured hands-on workshops in business modeling, market validation and social impact strategy, followed by live pitch sessions judged by executives and entrepreneurs.

Participating students presented ventures ranging from AI-powered tutoring platforms to the next generation of security platforms. The winner of the competition? Team Travella, which pitched an all-in-one travel companion app integrating features from Expedia, Yelp and Google Maps.

Speakers included NJIT alumnus Nick DeNichilo, the former president and CEO of Mott MacDonald North America, and Aliza Mujahid, CEO of DermaMech and a NJIT Innovation Fellow.

“This event was not about launching startups,” said Samaya Shah, founder and executive director of NYLA and a student at The Pingry School.

“It was about bringing together students from all backgrounds — public, private and charter — to collaborate, share ideas and learn the fundamentals of starting a new business,” Shah said.

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