By Justin Haberman, Senior at Lynbrook High School in Virtual Enterprise
On April 7, both of Lynbrook High School's Virtual Enterprise firms — Snooze and Revive — went to the Jacob Javits Center in New York City to present their companies in front of judges at the annual Virtual Enterprises International Youth Business Summit.
Snooze is a first-year Virtual Enterprise firm established in September 2024 to make products that mitigate all sleep issues. Snooze is led by Chief Executive Officer Evie Dellecona and her team of 40 other employees. When asked how the skills that she learns in VE can be used after high school, Dellecona said: “Every skill I’ve learned in the VE classroom can apply to my real-world life, specifically in college. On the first day of the year there were so many unfamiliar faces and now we are a family.”
Revive is a second-year Virtual Enterprise firm that works in the VE II class, which consists of just nine members. Founded in September 2023 and led by CEO Sydney Coble, Revive has succeeded in making heating and cooling clothes. Coble reflected on how her journey in VE will impact her after graduation: “Building my business skills as a CEO of VE taught me how to be a leader, write a resume and cover letter and fulfill a role in a real company.”
Snooze’s finance department placed in the top nine of the first round of the New York State Finance Competition. “To me, placing this high is very validating because I know what happens behind the scenes every day and there is a lot of delegating and work to be done,” Dellecona said.
Revive, on the other hand, placed in the top 22 of the last round of the National Business Plan Competition. “Placing so far in the Business Plan Competition is a great achievement for me, Coble explained. Being a second-year firm and having experience in VE has been very beneficial. Placing this high reassures me how driven and dedicated the people in my firm are.” Although neither company moved on, the students gained invaluable experience throughout the process.
Snooze’s Bank Manager Fabian Safsten-Suarez spoke about his experience at the Javits Center. “Preparing for the finance competition was stressful but rewarding, he said. It took a lot of time and discipline but it was fun. Presenting in front of the judges was also stressful but afterwards it felt like I did something good. The skills I learned in VE are essential for careers after high school. I need these public speaking skills as well as my organization skills.”
When asked about her experience in at the Javits Center, Revive’s Chief Operations Officer Jessica Strohofer said, “I was nervous leading up to the competition, but because it was our third time presenting I was excited... Being able to get this far is such an accomplishment and I am so happy to have been apart of it. Revive didn’t make it past the first-round last year, so being able to make top 50 in the United States is just so cool. #OwlProud #OwlLearns
Click here to view the Virtual Enterprise firms present at annual Youth Business Summit slideshow.
Date Added: 4/17/2025