Teens Score First Place in Competition for Student-Run Companies

Proving your worth as a business can be a difficult task, but several students from Westview High School did just that in six minutes.

Taking part last week in the “The Next Big Thing” Entrepreneurs Showcase hosted by the Junior Achievement of San Diego and Imperial Counties, the creators of Place~Mate―an interactive placemat intended for various uses by preschoolers―won first-place recognition for their product.

André Hoss, a Westview senior who serves as the company’s president, says the entire experience has been exciting.

“This was new to all of us, so we were eager to get started,” he said. “Once we settled on a specific idea and began developing a business plan, we saw that our confidence and morale grew exponentially. We knew that our company had great potential, which motivated us to successfully execute our goals.”

Competing with 15 other student-run companies, JA officials say Place Mate "shined with their product” in the less the 10 minutes they had with the judges. Hoss and his team find out on June 15 if they’ve been chosen to advance to the North American Competition in Washington D.C.

But the Place~Mate crew isn’t stopping now.

“Place~Mate was also invited to compete in the UCSD Entrepreneur Challenge, so we chose to continue our business procedures,” Hoss said.

They’re also developing new ways to enhance their product―like an FDA-approved reusable kids’ menu for local restaurants.

“Successful businesses are those that are always evolving,” Hoss said. “We have manufactured and sold multiple placemats, but will continue to make improvements and innovate.”

In addition to Hoss, the entire Place~Mate team consists of Chris Rolfson, Trevor Venegas, Jaclyn Powell, Paige Fontana, Natalie Al-Rayes, Josh Knopman, Andrew Young, Nabila Sakhi, Ibrahim Tafla and Trevor Minear.

Another Westview company―Local Noise—earned second place for their website service, which promotes neighborhood bands and sells concert tickets.