After three intense rounds of pitching, student entrepreneurs Adrian Bautista, 18, and Evan Perez, 17, from Providence, RI, emerged as champions of the 2025 NFTE National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge for their innovative business, Color Your Life. They won $10,000 and a special 45-minute mentorship session with Daymond John, The People’s Shark and the founder and CEO of FUBU, a $6 billion hip-hop apparel company. They will also compete in NFTE’s World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge on Nov. 20 at the Delegates Dining Room at the U.N.
Color Your Life aims to help families reconnect in our screen-dominated world by transforming real family photos into personalized coloring books. Using AI, they create hands-on experiences that reduce screen time and strengthen family bonds.
“Every year, NFTE students impress us, but this year’s challenge was especially striking because of the breadth of the ideas and the heart behind them,” said Dr. J.D. LaRock, president & CEO of NFTE. “We saw young people tackling real problems in health and wellness and leaning into creativity and self-expression. And across the board, technology was central, whether in AI-powered platforms, gaming, or marketplaces that connect people in new ways.”
This year marks the 20th anniversary of NFTE’s signature competition, a national platform for young innovators to launch their ideas and inspire change.
Two runners up each received $2,500 to support their entrepreneurial goals. That included innovative 13-year-old Jamie Jimenez from Los Angeles, who created the Soberband wristband to detect blood alcohol levels, and ingenious 15-year-olds Chase Little and Michael Scanlon from Tampa, who founded MC Marine and the Flush King system for stress-free boat maintenance.
Special thanks to our judging panel Dave Alpago, Assurance Partner at EY US; Michelle Armstrong, Managing Director and President of the Ares Charitable Foundation at Ares Management LLC; Ken Houseman, Vice President of Product Management, Order to Cash at Zuora; Tony Selvaggio, Head of New York and New Jersey Middle Market and Corporate Banking at Santander Bank, N.A.; and Isis Swaby, NFTE alumna class of 2008 and founder and Creative Director of Thjngs Mag/Rockers Int’l Records.
The prestigious challenge was presented in New York City by EY US, PayPal, and Zuora, with support from American Student Assistance and Santander.