By Esther Vargas
The UCF Business Incubation Program served as a host, ecosystem connector, and source of inspiration for future entrepreneurs during the Osceola County School District Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, held at the UCF Business Incubator in Kissimmee on March 6.
The Incubator provided the venue for the competition, allowing students, judges, educators, and partners to gather in a professional entrepreneurial environment. The space enabled multiple presentation rooms, judging sessions, and the final competition round.
This year’s competition marked significant growth in the program.
What began just a few years ago with participation from a single school has expanded to nine schools across the district, reflecting the increasing momentum behind entrepreneurship education in Osceola County.
Hosting the event inside the Incubator was intentional: it allowed students to experience a real startup environment and see what resources exist locally to support entrepreneurs. Students were introduced to the idea that the incubator is a place they could return to in the future to launch or grow their ventures.
Through my remarks and participation, the Incubator reinforced its mission of supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, and job creation in the regional economy. Students represent the next generation of entrepreneurs who will contribute to the local economy and workforce, and there is a supportive ecosystem here in Osceola County to help them pursue their ideas.
Incubator staff and graduate clients – Pedro Toledo of BRISA USA, Axel Lopez of Axelera Technologies, and I – contributed subject-matter expertise during judging, asking questions that pushed students to think more deeply about their business models, market impact, and scalability.
The Incubator helped bring entrepreneurs, investors, and industry professionals into the room as judges and mentors, strengthening the connection between education and the real business community.
Serving as a judge for the Osceola County School District Business Plan Competition was both inspiring and energizing.
It was impressive to see the level of creativity, preparation, and confidence these students brought to the stage. Many of them were not only presenting ideas, but clearly thinking through real customer problems, potential markets, and how their solutions could create value. It was exciting to see the same entrepreneurial mindset we instill in our clients begin to take shape at the high school level.
If you can become involved in your local high school and help future entrepreneurs, you’ll find the experience rewarding, but the Incubation Program remains committed to helping shape the local business community for generations to come.
