BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — High school students from across the Kern High School District went all-in at the Virtual Enterprise Conference sharpening their skills to run a business from the ground up. These future entrepreneurs mastered the day-to-day hustle and learned what it takes to turn bold ideas into thriving companies.
This conference has been going on for more than 20 years teaching students the underlying traits of being a successful business owner.
Jason Grant Recruitment & Career Technician at ROC said "This is just a perfect opportunity for students to get real world experience. This conference allows them to become comfortable creating their own business, managing finances, and get an opportunity to sell their product before graduating high school."
Students came to Dignity Health Center in Bakersfield to showcase their product and aim to win the competition to head to New York. Megan Quach from Legacy Magnet Academy highlighted her business and how it could be universally used.
"The business I brought to Bakersfield is Setta. We are a magnet based mat organization system. We have synthetic mats, with magnets inside of them. When you are getting ready in the morning you are able to place your products on the mats to keep your counters organized and clutter free," said Quach.
Only 11 out of the 42 firms will be able to move on to the next competition. Kern County had multiple schools participate but only a couple are moving forward.
Shayla Mata of Ridgeview High School said "Here at Secretly yours we focus on the safety and the well being of our community. What we do with our jewelry is embed an AI chip to detect four key vitals with any distressful situation or vulnerability situation the user experiences to keep them safe when out and about. We prioritize our colleagues and their safety."
Students sold their products to other participants to see who would be interested in their company. Learning vital skills in direct sells and retailing.
Nathaly Flores of Centennial High School said "Last year I was really nervous because it was my first year ever doing something like this. Something that I did bring back was my salesman skills. Really going out there and approaching consumers, because I want them to walk up and sell to me. I learned how to break out of my shell and gained more confidence when it came to sells."
The two day event ended with an award show showcasing all the talent and naming the final contestants who will be moving forward.
| FIRM NAME | SCHOOL NAME |
| 1. Chameleon | Centennial High |
| 2. Loop | Bakersfield High |
| 3. Securely Yours | Ridgeview High |
| 4. Global Plate | Century High |
| 5. Pawp Culture | West High |
| 6. Benefizz | San Juan Hills High |
| 7. Strive Athletics | Carlsbad High |
| 8. VestEd | Ridgeview High |
| 9. Lumea | Portola High |
| 10. DermaLyze | Murrieta High |
| 11. Ampower Co. | Homestead High |
The top 11 VE firms will advance to New York in April to compete nationally.
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