A business to build high performance customised computers and a scheme to launch a water shuttle from the airport took top honours at the 2014 YEI BizCamp over the past three weeks.

Nicholas Kempe, chairman of the Bermuda Economic Development Corporation, who led the judging for the two sessions of BizCamp stated: “I was impressed with the quality of the presentations this year. ? The costs were well researched and the revenue projections were firmly based in reality. I look forward to these talented youths developing their businesses into profitable enterprises”.

Twenty-six Bermudian teenagers took seven days out of their summer break to learn about opportunity recognition, cost of goods, pricing, marketing and many other aspects of running a company. At the end of the session, each participant presented their completed business plans to judges who then determined the top three, based on criteria including feasibility of idea, presentation skills, and accurate financial components.

Dahji Grimes’ Alien Customz Computers was the best plan presented during the first session with The King Airport Water Shuttle presented by Elysse McCarron and Logan Henschke taking home the prize at the end of session two. This year, the 1st place winners received prizes donated by Cellular One.

The other top three prize donated by Complete Office/iClick went to Mikayla Wilson’s Bermuda Breeze, Stephane Nkeuleu’s Frame Scorches, Zoë O’Connor’s Novel-Tees, and Yassine Chentouf’s Laffs 4 Love.

Joining Mr Kempe as judges were Nancy Volesky, director of the Department of E-Commerce, Kristin White, founder of The Collaborative Consulting Firm, Jamillah Lodge, business development officer at BEDC, Maryem Biadillah, senior policy analyst at the Department of E-Commerce, and Pauline Tse, senior fund accountant at Auxilium Fund.

Local entrepreneurs volunteered again this year to present their own real-world examples: Rachael Sawden of BermyDeals, Sancha Durham of The Garage, and Stephaine Lee of Socialee Consulting. Providing sounds theoretical knowledge were the BEDC’s Lucrecia Ming and Jamillah Lodge.

Assisting Joe Mahoney, executive director of the YEI with the instruction were former Biz Camp students Jazmyn Williams, Mishael Hughes and Brittany Bannister.

Mr Mahoney said: “The goal is to inspire young people to become business-savvy and economically self-sufficient. This year’s participants displayed a keen understanding of the basic business concepts in a very compressed timeline. I was very proud of the job they all did in presenting their business plans.”

Support for the 2014 BizCamps was lead by the Department of E-Commerce along with the Bank of Bermuda Foundation, Tokio Millennium Re, Ace Foundation, PartnerRe, Complete Office/iClick and Cellular One.