12th graders at Freire Charter School to compete in UD's global pitch competition

CORRECTION: New information regarding local students' grade level was provided after publication.

Students from 111 countries are in Delaware to compete for a portion of the $100,000 prize pool at the 2024 Diamond Challenge Summit, hosted by the University of Delaware. The three-day conference is the final round of the yearlong global pitch competition. Aspiring entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to network and present their business ideas to a panel of business experts, entrepreneurs and community leaders. The award money will allow them to further develop their ventures or support their academic ambitions.

Among the participants will be two high school students from Wilmington.

Kyle Richardson and Keon Jones, both 12th graders at Freire Charter School Wilmington, will present RichCoverage, a hair-loss solution that promises to effectively and affordably address hair loss. Their idea stood out at the University of Delaware's Horn Entrepreneurship's EntreX Delaware Venture Showcase, securing them a $500 prize and the opportunity to advance to the Diamond Challenge Summit competition.

During the summit, Richardson and Jones will vie against students from around the world for one of the top three prizes:

• First Place - $12,000
• Second Place - $8,000
• Third Place - $4,500

The EntreX Lab program from Horn Entrepreneurship helps schools prepare students for success by providing university-level coursework and challenges to develop collaborative thinking and problem-solving skills.

GROWING THE ECONOMY:As Delaware's demographics change, this conference aims to diversify Wilmington's economy

The Diamond Challenge

The Diamond Challenge invites high school students worldwide to participate in the yearlong program. Students are tasked with developing solutions to tackle pressing challenges they have identified and compete for prize money.

Teams work on their ideas across three rounds between September to April leading up to the Summit. The teams with the best ideas win funding to develop their projects further or support their education. Awards go to the top three teams in the business innovation track and the social innovation track to help them pursue their entrepreneurial goals.

According to its website, the Horn has granted a total of $322,743 in funding to student ventures and scholarships for higher education.

You can contact reporter Anitra Johnson at ajohnson@delawareonline.com.