Teen Entrepreneur Excels at National Competition

One Lincoln Square boy was among the nation’s top teen entrepreneurs that gathered in Rochester, NY, to compete for a $30,000 scholarship this weekend.

Local business owners selected Eddie McCarthy to vie for the Saunders Scholarship, created by Phil Saunders and the Rochester Institute of Technology.

He was chosen out of 20 local students in the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!), a 30-week program that teaches kids how to develop and market a business plan. Participants created 13 projects and presented them to area business owners, asking for funding.

A panel of judges selected McCarthy because of his business, “My Allergy Business Card.”

With a younger brother who has severe food allergies, McCarthy made pocket-sized cards that define what someone can and can’t eat. At restaurants, the person hands the card to a server, who can communicate easier with the kitchen.

McCarthy’s business plan was one of nine in the final round on Friday. After a valiant effort, he did not win the scholarship, but will return home to start his business with the knowledge and resources usually learned at an adult age.

Judges named Connor Christian of Angleton, Texas, as the victor for his invention that keeps rubber boots in place in the back of a truck. Christian will also travel to America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C. for a chance to pitch his idea on the TV show “Shark Tank,” the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle reported.  

Chambers of Commerce from around the country sponsored the entrepreneurs with the Lincoln Square Ravenswood Chamber of Commerce’s nonprofit foundation supporting McCarthy in New York.