NFTE

New York – October 29, 2026 -- The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has named two West region students to advance to the U.S. National Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase on Nov. 18, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City. The finalists were chosen from NFTE's 2026 West Youth Entrepreneurship Showcases in Los Angeles and the Bay Area.

Two student ventures win top honors in Los Angeles and the Bay Area

Elian Gutierrez of Florence Nightingale Middle School in Los Angeles advances with Little Miss, a period product pouch. Saumit Pathak of Silver Creek High School in San Jose, California, advances with LeftoSense, an AI-powered app that scans and analyzes food to determine whether it is safe to eat.

New York – October 28, 2026 -- The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has advanced two Dallas students from its South Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase to the U.S. National Youth Entrepreneurship Showcase on Nov. 18, 2026, at the Marriott Marquis in New York City.

Two Career Institute North students win the South region

Gizelle Terrones won with Gigi's Homers, a business offering data-driven training and specialized pitching machines for competitive softball athletes. Carlos Anez, from the same school, advanced with the Powerful AI Hydration Bottle, a smart water bottle that uses AI to manage daily hydration.

Both will compete against top youth entrepreneurs from across the country. National participants can advance to the World Finals on Nov. 19 at 787 Seventh Avenue in New York City.

New York – October 28, 2026 -- The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and BUILD.org plan to merge into a nonprofit serving more than 350,000 students annually, with a projected operating budget of about $18 million. The deal is pending regulatory approval.

BUILD will become the first organization in NFTE's planned "family of brands," a longer-term strategy to consolidate mission-aligned entrepreneurship education groups. The two nonprofits have a combined 67 years of operating history.

Combined organization targets an $18 million annual operating budget

The merged entity will pair NFTE's national and global reach, educator training and research capabilities with BUILD's relationship-centered, experiential learning model. Both organizations rely on project-based learning, and the merger plan calls for combining NFTE's entrepreneurial mindset curriculum with BUILD's Spark Skills.

United States – October 28, 2026 -- NFTE has published a NEXUS policy brief with three recommendations for policymakers and education leaders on preparing students for an AI-driven workforce. The brief is titled "Entrepreneurship Education in the Age of Artificial Intelligence: How AI Literacy, Entrepreneurial Learning, and Human Skills Can Prepare Students for the Future of Work."

NFTE argues technical AI literacy alone falls short for students

The brief says the question for schools is shifting from whether students will use generative AI to how they use it thoughtfully, critically, and creatively. It names critical thinking, creativity, communication, adaptability, and entrepreneurial skills as necessary for working alongside AI.

New York – October 28, 2026 -- NFTE and BUILD, two U.S. youth entrepreneurship education nonprofits, are combining into a single organization that will reach more than 350,000 students a year, according to a letter from President and CEO Dr. J.D. LaRock to both communities.

Merged group will teach in schools, communities, out-of-school programs and online

The combined organization covers in-school, community, out-of-school and online delivery. LaRock cites educator training and research among its strongest capabilities, plus multi-year commitments to individual students rather than single-semester programs. The merger also joins New York and Silicon Valley under one purpose, a combination LaRock says exists nowhere else in the field.