E CITY Young Entrepreneur of the Year Competition

Congratulations to this year's E CITY Young Entrepreneur of the Year’s 1st Place winner Mykia Woodard! Mykia is a graduating senior at Cleveland Metropolitan School District’s John Marshall High School. Her idea, "Save A Life," proposes to sell straws that change color when in contact with a narcotic-laced beverage.

This year’s grand prize winner, Mykia received $1,000 from Y.O.U. to help fund her business idea, a trip to New York City to participate in the National NFTE Competition, and the title of E CITY Young Entrepreneur of the Year. In addition, she will be recognized at Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year Gala in spring.

Other finalist products included comfortable women’s clothing, one-of-a-kind charms with a positive message, purse organizers, soft hair bands, and cruelty-free card holders.

Y.O.U. would like to thank the following E City program sponsors: Burton D. Morgan Foundation, Veale Youth Entrepreneurship Forum, and Harvard Business School Club of Northeastern Ohio. We would also like to thank event sponsors Dollar Bank, FairmontSantrol, Huntington Bank, PNC, KeyBank, John Carroll University, Federal Process Corporation, and Robert Half International. And special thank you goes out to the business volunteers who work with the students throughout the school year and the event judges.

E CITY, a program of Youth Opportunities Unlimited, teaches youth business, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship skills. Students from Cleveland, Lorain, and Painesville competed in the E CITY Young Entrepreneur of the Year Competition. The top 10 contenders were chosen to participate in the ECITY Young Entrepreneur of The Year Competition at Ernst & Young on May 18, 2017.