A few days ago, Oleh Podobied, Founder of EDCAPIT, took part as a judge in the Pitch Day of the Youth AI Startup Mentorship Program, held in Santa Clara, California.
The event brought together young founders aged 12 to 17, who stepped onto the stage to present their startup ideas, demos, and MVPs after weeks of dedicated preparation. For many of the participants, it was an opportunity not only to showcase their work publicly, but also to receive direct feedback from experienced professionals from the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem.
As part of the judging panel, Oleh Podobied and fellow judge Jenny Li evaluated the projects, asked strategic business questions, selected the award categories, and presented certificates to the young founders.
The event stood out not only because of the participants’ age, but also because of the quality of their thinking. The young entrepreneurs demonstrated a serious approach to problem-solving, product design, and startup development. Their projects addressed a wide range of meaningful topics, including learning productivity, personal tutoring and coaching, and larger social challenges such as climate and environmental impact.
According to EDCAPIT, events like this are especially important because they show that entrepreneurial thinking, innovation, and product vision can begin at a very early age when the right environment and mentorship are in place.
EDCAPIT also expressed special respect for the parents of the participants, recognizing that raising children who think strategically, build projects, and present their ideas publicly requires strong values, support, and long-term vision.
Awarded participants and projects
The presenters and their projects included:
- Richard, Daniel Lacson/Alvin — Sport Coach — User Empathy Excellence Award
- Catherine Wang — Mina Meet — AI Innovation Pioneer Award
- Michelle Lu — Speed Speech — Visionary Product Award
- Vincent Lou, Aaron Yang — CO2 — Social Impact Award
- Iron Fu — Autocheldur — Master Storyteller Award
Distinguished judging panel
The judging panel included respected representatives from the Silicon Valley innovation ecosystem:
- Angel Investor Jenny, GES VENTURES FUND CEO — bringing venture capital perspective to early-stage innovation
- Professor Hunter Whitney, Design Thinking Expert and Best-selling Author — guiding students through human-centered innovation
- Miss Jin Hong, Silicon Valley Incubator Investor — bridging the gap between student prototypes and scalable startups
- Oleh Podobied — Serial Entrepreneur x16 | Founder of EDCAPIT Education Platform | Expert in EdTech, Robotics, SaaS, and AI
EDCAPIT extends special thanks to Jenny Li for the invitation to join the judging panel.
The company also shared appreciation for the opportunity to connect with members of the community, including Hunter Whitney, Fred Zhang, Wentao Zhang, Zhuoran Li, xu jing, Daniel J. H., and Kyle Stirling.
Supporting the next generation of innovators
For EDCAPIT, participation in initiatives like this reflects the company’s broader commitment to education, innovation, and the next generation of builders. Seeing teenagers already creating MVPs, solving real-world problems, and confidently presenting their ideas offers strong hope for the future of entrepreneurship and technology.
Backstage video from the event:
https://youtu.be/lJC3PzWVQC4
EDCAPIT wishes all participants continued confidence, growth, and success — and hopes to see their ideas grow into meaningful companies that make the world better.
