TAMPA 鈥 The buzz of student pitches, flashing booth displays and big ideas filled the 911爆料网 as young entrepreneurs, brimming with creativity and imagination, turned classrooms into companies at Entrepalooza 2026.
Middle and high schoolers from gathered for the annual event, held on March 27 at the Marshall Student Center on USF's Tampa campus.
鈥淓ntrepalooza showcases the incredible talent and creativity of Hillsborough students, who aren鈥檛 just learning about business, they鈥檙e actively building it through bold ideas that address real-world challenges,鈥 said Peter Trakas, director of the Gus A. Stavros Center.
The day featured a startup tech showcase, pitch competitions and a trade show of student-created businesses, along with a keynote from entrepreneur , who is one of the original sharks on the reality show "Shark Tank."
Kevin Harrington speaks at Entrepalooza 2026.
Harrington, known as the inventor of the infomercial, and an early backer of Celsius energy drinks, delivered the keynote address, offering students insight into entrepreneurship at the highest level.
Hosted by the school district in partnership with the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship, the USF Gus A. Stavros Center for Free Enterprise and Economic Education, the and , the event highlights hands-on learning in business and innovation.
鈥淭he event is about the power of giving young entrepreneurs a platform to share their vision, develop confidence and think critically about the future," said Trakas. "More than a competition, Entrepalooza is a powerful reminder that the next generation of innovators is already taking shape in our classrooms.鈥
Highlights and results
Among the top highlights, "Forever Sleek," a hair extension product idea from Young Middle Magnet, earned first place in the NFTE Pitch Competition and became the first to have its name engraved on the Golden Bull statue, which will be displayed in a USF trophy case and updated annually.
Additional results from the NFTE Pitch Competition were Plant High School placing second for Bench Built and Steinbrenner High School placing third for Project Immunity.
In the VE Sales Pitch Competition, Freedom High School placed first for Smart Cycle, Barrington Middle School came in second with Fun Bottles, and Liberty Middle School rounded out third with SAFIRE.
In the VE Trade Show Booth Design contest, Freedom High School took first, Liberty Middle School came in second, and Sumner High School took third place.
Finally in the NFTE Startup Tech Showcase, first place went to Young Middle Magnet for Echo of the Wild, second place went to Randall Middle School for Gift Panda, and third place went to Lutz K-8 School for Advice4Life.
Frank Nunez, program planner for the Nault Center, said the event continues to grow in both scale and impact. 鈥淚t鈥檚 exciting to see students step into the role of entrepreneur so naturally,鈥 he said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e solving problems and gaining real-world experience that will stay with them well beyond this event.鈥
From polished pitches to inventive products, the event transformed the USF campus into a marketplace of ideas, and by the end of the day, those same buzzing booths and confident presentations made one thing clear: The future of entrepreneurship is already on display.