From brainstorms to brands: Highlands Middle School students shine at Business Fair

Business was booming Wednesday evening at Highlands Middle School, where students displayed their entrepreneurial spirit with a wide array of products and services during the popular annual Business Fair.

Armed with big ideas, vast imaginations and a firm grasp of market research, nearly 170 seventh-graders working in 46 small teams turned the North Gym into a veritable startup hub where ingenuity met innovation.

From a high-tech mirror and magnetic keyholder to an accessible food tray and calming fidget tool, the event highlighted how young minds can spot everyday problems and pitch solutions through the mxINCedu entrepreneurial program led by teacher Ina Pascal.

“The whole goal is to ask students, ‘What needs need to be met?’” said Ms. Pascal, who noted that this was the third year of the fair. “Once that idea is approved, they create an original logo, slogan and product description, conduct surveys, analyze data and learn how to work together as a team.”

The fledgling inventors assumed defined roles — including chief executive officer, chief financial officer, manager and marketing lead — and worked under time constraints to complete each phase of development. 

Ms. Pascal also emphasized lessons in intellectual property, copyright and trademarks to ensure originality.

“I want to make sure they’re not repeating ideas that already exist,” she said. “They really have to think about what makes their product unique.”

That originality was evident throughout the fair, where a team of judges quizzed the students about their work and financial viability.

Daisy Moore, working with teammates Divya Springer, Jahniah Robinson and Hayala Wen, helped develop MirrorShot, a smart mirror designed to capture a “screenshot” of a person’s reflection to solve a vexing problem many teens know well.

“Sometimes when you take a photo on your phone, it doesn’t look as good as what you see in the mirror,” Divya explained. “So the mirror can take a picture that looks more like what you actually see.”

Daisy said the idea grew out of a personal frustration.

“I was thinking about something makeup-related,” she said. “Sometimes your makeup looks really good, but you can’t capture it on your phone camera the right way. This lets you kind of screenshot your reflection.”

Another team tackled a common household annoyance: misplaced keys. Jerrick Harris described his group’s magnetic keyholder, which uses magnetized keychains and a mounted strip to keep keys in one easy-to-find spot.

“You can put the magnet strip on your wall or refrigerator, and just throw your keys onto it,” Jerrick said. “It holds them there so you don’t lose them.”

Teammate Axl Naccari said the group wanted something simple but useful.

“We were thinking about a product that wouldn’t require too much out-of-the-box thinking, but still fixes an everyday problem,” he said. “A lot of people lose their keys.”

Accessibility and convenience were the focus of the Portable Food Tray, created by Max Feldman, Luca Figura, Nick Napolitano and Lucas Aveiro. The tray straps over a person’s shoulders, allowing hands-free eating.

“It’s mostly for people with disabilities or people who don’t have a lot of strength in their arms,” Max said.

Luca said the idea came from a real-life moment.

“I was walking with my mom, holding food and wanting to use my phone at the same time,” he said. “She said, ‘Why don’t you build something with straps that holds your food?’ And that’s where it started.”

Other projects blended creativity with calm. The BeadBop, designed by Dylan Llanos Dominguez, Zadie Haimowitz and Zaid Diaz Guzman, is a soothing fidget tool made of smooth beads that glide along a string to promote focus and sensory regulation.

Car enthusiast Sahil Jikaria pitched a bold idea inspired by bumpy rides.

“I don’t like rough car rides,” Sahil said. “So I designed a suspension upgrade that adds more springs to give the car more control. You don’t feel the bumps — it’s even better than Rolls-Royce suspension.”

Another team developed Lazy Lock, a smart locker system that allows students to charge devices securely and unlock lockers using IDs or PINs.

“We thought about how stressful it is when your locker doesn’t open and you have to ask for help,” seventh-grader Lyra Lnevitt said. “We wanted a locker you know will work 100 percent of the time.”

The judges evaluated each project on problem identification, research, pricing, marketing and communication. Computer science teacher David Steckler, who served as a judge, said students impressed him with both creativity and preparation.

“They start with, ‘What problem are you solving?’ and then prove that problem exists through surveys,” Mr. Steckler said. “They explain pricing, target customers and marketing strategies. What’s amazing is how well they communicate their ideas after only about 40 classes.”

He added that middle schoolers bring a unique perspective.

“They haven’t been told yet that something can’t be done,” the teacher said as he made notes at each station. “That creative mindset leads to ideas adults might never think of.”

Principal Michael Eaton later announced the winners during an assembly in the auditorium, where the large crowd cheered for the victors.

Business Fair Winners:

M Day

1st Place: Portable Food Tray 
Nick Napolitano
Max Feldman
Luca Figura
Lucas Aveiro

2nd Place: MAC – Motion Alarm Clock 
Angie Pleitez
Daniela Richmond
Abraham Biggs
Alexa Teixeira
Josiah Pierre

3rd Place: Automatic White Board Cleaner 
Amiyah Spaulding
Jade Pedraza
Itzia Gonzalez
Brianna Street

S Day

1st Place: AI Mirror
Zoe Juarez Martinez
Alicia Tema Coronado
Salome Rios
Adamarias Castillo
Madelyn Medel Ulin

2nd Place: BeadBop 
Zaid Diaz Guzman
Zadie Haimowitz
Dylan Dominguez

3rd Place: Smartie Glass 
Carlos Romero
Mason Santiago
Pedro Olivar
Desean Woodridge
Giovani Riviera