2024 Youth Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition

Spark Your Vision. Light Up the World.

SparkHub's 1st Event

August 31-September 1, 2024

Hilton Hotel, Costa Mesa

Join us in celebrating the success of SparkHub’s 1st Youth Entrepreneurs Pitch Competition, held in Summer 2024 at the Hilton Hotel in Costa Mesa, CA. This event brought together over 16 high school teams, showcasing groundbreaking ideas and entrepreneurial talent.

With an audience of over 300 attendees, industry-leading judges, and generous sponsors, the competition provided a platform for young innovators to pitch their business ideas, receive expert mentorship, and compete for awards and seed funding.

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Where Great Minds Unite

Spark Innovation. Ignite Ideas. Build the Future.

300

16

20

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A DYNAMIC AUDIENCE OF 300+ ATTENDEES

16 TEAMS REPRESENTING 14 HIGH SCHOOLS

20 DISTINGUISHED JUDGES & GUEST SPEAKERS

FEATURED IN 9 MEDIA OUTLETS

Explore snapshots of our talented teams
as they present their groundbreaking ideas and innovative solutions

Our participants came from the following schools

University High School Orange County School of the Arts
St. Margaret’s Episcopal School Rancho San Joaquin Middle School Irvine High School Heritage Christian School
Portola High School Arcadia High School
Troy High School TVT Community Day School

Northwood High School Ruben S. Ayala High School

Crean Lutheran High School Sage Hill School

Mira Costa High School The Webb Schools

Judging Panel & Guest Speakers

Meet the distinguished panel of judges who brought their expertise, insights, and experience to the competition. Their invaluable feedback and mentorship played a vital role in helping participants refine their ideas and develop actionable strategies for success.

Jimmy Li

VC investor

Former VP at Kunlun Capital
Senior Investment Manager at Dachen Capital (Fortune Capital)
Bachelor's degree from Wharton
MBA at CKGSB

Dr. Sun Yu

Tenured Professor of Computer Science at California State Polytechnic University and Vanderbilt University
Advisor to the College Board AP Computer Science Committee

Campbell Miller

Founder of Antao Capital
Bachelor's degree from
Williams College
Chief Investment Officer of a multi-family office with over $6 billion in AUM

Luana Walser

Cofounder of the World Entertainment Awards (WEA) and the Soirée

Driven Leader in the Entertainment Industry
Fluent in German, Italian, English,
and Swiss German

Dr. Kellia Liu

Founder of Talent Go Education LLC &
Talent Go Investment LLC
Master's Degree from Edinburgh
Business School
Doctoral Degree from the University of Southern California (USC)

Dr. Andrew Zhang

CEO of ALPHA AI
Founder of AI-Driven Marketing Company A+MEDIA
Chairman of the Board Chinese Association for Science and Technology, USA

Lorna Gray

Interface Education Services
President & Founder

The pioneer who introduced the concept, service process, and standards of American educational consulting to the global Chinese community

Victoria Xu

Partner at IOVC

Venture Capitalist, specializing in chip and gaming investments

Joe Zhao

Millennia Capital Co-founder & Managing Partner

Artificial Intelligence Investor
Frequent guest on Bloomberg
Technology, interviewed by
Ed Ludlow and Caroline Hyde

Skyblue

Angel Investor

VC Venture Partner, investing and incubating early-stage companies in the SaaS, Proptech, and other tech sectors.
Founder of Future Builders Entrepreneurial Community

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Government Officials

We were honored to welcome government officials who attended our event and delivered inspiring speeches.
They encouraged our youth entrepreneurs and teenagers to pursue their ideas, embrace innovation, and take bold steps toward building a brighter future. Their support reinforced our mission to empower the next generation of leaders and changemakers.

Honoring Innovation and Leadership

California State Treasurer Fiona Ma presented a certificate of recognition to SparkHub for its dedication to empowering young entrepreneurs.

Pictured (Left to Right):
Co-founder Alex Kim, Founder & President Siu Man So (Daren), and California State Treasurer Fiona Ma

Recognizing Community Service and Impact

Mayor of Costa Mesa John Stephen presented certificates of recognition to SparkHub members for their outstanding community service and contributions to fostering youth entrepreneurship in the city.

Pictured (Left to Right): Co-founder Alex Kim, Co-founder Avril Zhang, Mayor of Costa Mesa John Stephen, Co-founder Leon Sun, and Founder & President Siu Man So (Daren).

Fiona Ma

Treasure of California

John Stephens

Mayor of Costa Mesa

Farrah N. Khan

Mayor of Irvine

Explore our photo gallery capturing the highlights of the awards ceremony and candid moments of teamwork, creativity, and connection. From proud winners receiving recognition to casual snapshots of teenagers collaborating and sharing ideas, these photos reflect the energy, passion, and community spirit that define SparkHub.