Entrepreurial teens take Neeley School honors

Fort Worth, TX

2/8/2011

Out of 101 young entrepreneurs from across the state, six successful high school business owners won the TCU Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards, hosted by the Neeley Entrepreneurship Center in the Neeley School of Business. The winners are Matthew Burke of Arlington (Grand Prize $5,000), Chandler Adaway of Nederland, Skyler Alcalá of San Antonio, Josh Bostick of Argyle, Luke Lashley of Fort Worth and Sophie Meintjes of Fort Worth.

 

They were among 24 finalists who presented their businesses to a panel of judges during  TCU Young Entrepreneurs Days, Jan. 30-31, 2011. The Grand Prize winner, Matthew Burke, receives a $5,000 scholarship. Each of the other winners receives a $1,000 scholarship. All scholarships are doubled if the student enters TCU.
 
GRAND PRIZE WINNER - $5,000 Scholarship
Matthew Burke
The Oakridge School, Arlington
Parks Production Company
Matthew Burke founded Parks Production Company in 2005, providing video and DJ services for family and friends. He added photography in 2006 and in 2007 became a preferred vendor for his school. Parks Production Company currently provides DJ/party planning, photography and videotaping for birthdays, parties, weddings, Bar/Bat Mitzvahs and nonprofit auctions. He has one employee. “I am honored to be part of such an amazing program at TCU, and I am excited to continue to grow the Parks Production Company brand,” he said. Matthew plans to attend TCU in the fall.
 
WINNERS - $1,000 Scholarships each
 
Chandler Adaway
Nederland High School, Nederland, TX
Chandler Adaway Photography
Chandler began his photography company in January 2010, providing professional photography for friends. Through referrals he acquired paying customers, launched his web site, and now provides quality photography for weddings, businesses, families and high school senior portraits. Chandler attributes his success to careful branding, using a graphic designer to attract his desired clientele. In April 2011 he will shoot a mock engagement session with professional models, stylists, and makeup artists. 
 
Skyler Alcalá
Dillard McCollum School of Leadership and Public Service, San Antonio, TX
Skyler Entertainment
Skyler uses her singing and dancing talent to perform as a Hannah Montana impersonator at parties. She founded her business in 2009 and had 15 bookings within three months. She added an employee to help with equipment, new sound equipment, updated her photos and songs, increased prices, and hired a backup dancer, resulting in 100 bookings. She continues to upgrade her equipment, hairstyle and wardrobe, and has hired a personal assistant and a Justin Bieber impersonator. 

 
Josh Bostick
Argyle High School, Argyle, TX
Josh’s Car Wash Service
Josh started his business at age 14 in 2007, using an old golf cart to haul supplies to his clients’ cars. In the summer of 2009, at age 16 and with a driver’s license, his business expanded. Josh uses superior products not offered at drive-in car washes, including special soap that is water repellent so rain marks don’t show, a steam cleaner for cleaning carpets, a scratch repair kit, a rim cleaning kit, and a buffer. He serves both individuals and businesses.

 
Luke Lashley
Southwest Christian School, Fort Worth, TX
Lashley Media
Lashley Media  is a film and video company that specializes in wedding, corporate, and independent productions. Luke began producing short films and internet ads in 2007. In 2008, Alcon Labs hired him to film an instructional video demonstrating the use of equipment for use in a clinical trial for glaucoma research. In 2009 he began offering wedding video services. Lashley Media has been featured on Brides.com and Bridal Shows.com, and has partnered with area florists, DJs and photographers. 

 
Sophie Meintjes
Home Educated in Fort Worth, TX
Sophie’s Horses Handmade
Sophie produces unique, horse charms, bead necklaces, note cards, bracelets, and T-shirts. Sophie started her business in January 2009. She makes solid silver horse charms by molding wax by hand, then has a silversmith make the charms. Each charm represents a real horse and is packaged in a handcrafted pine box that holds hay and small books with stories about herself and the horse. Her works is sold at Maverick Western Wear and at booths, trunk shows and trade shows. 

 
 
The Neeley Entrepreneurship Center (www.nec.tcu.edu <http://www.nec.tcu.edu> ) hosts the annual TCU Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards (www.tcuyeya.org <http://www.tcuyeya.org> ) to give high school entrepreneurs the opportunity to visit TCU, consult with successful entrepreneurs, present their business to a panel of judges, and learn about the entrepreneurship program at the Neeley School of Business at TCU (www.neeley.tcu.edu <http://www.neeley.tcu.edu> ), which was recently honored as the 2011 National Model Entrepreneurship Program by the U.S. Association of Small Businesses and Entrepreneurs, and has been recognized by Entrepreneur Magazine, U. S. News & World Report, the National Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization.