Miami Junior Achievement Students Honored With The ICE Best Financial Performance Award
June 17, 2025
For more information, contact:
Annmarie Pisano, annmarie@pisanoslater.com
Miami Junior Achievement Students Honored With The ICE Best Financial Performance Award
The Intercontinental Exchange Recognizes Teen Entrepreneurs' Financial Skills and Business Acumen
Miami, FL — At the Future BoundTM by Junior Achievement event in Atlanta, GA, held from June 9 to 12, Charm Department, a Junior Achievement (JA) student company from Miami, was honored with the Intercontinental Exchange, Inc. (ICE) Best Financial Performance Award. This accolade recognizes the exceptional financial acumen and entrepreneurial spirit of these young innovators. The award celebrates their impressive achievements in profitability, meeting investor expectations, employee earnings, product quality, leadership, and operational efficiency.
"We are pleased to support Junior Achievement’s efforts to equip high school students with essential financial skills and help empower the next generation of entrepreneurs and investors to take charge of their financial futures," said Brookly McLaughlin, ICE’s Vice President for Corporate Affairs and Sustainability.
Charm Department, from Coral Gables Senior High School, creates high-quality, customizable accessories that celebrate individuality while fostering inclusivity, unity, and belonging within diverse communities. Their educator was Ms. Niki Brown, and they worked with Sara Krawll (TIAA), Felicia Shtivelman (Capabee), and Sean Buchele as volunteer mentors. The JA Company Program is led at JA Miami by Adam Brinson, Vanessa Valle, and Molly Diallo, under the leadership of Lourdes de la Mata Little.
JA Company Program® is an immersive learning experience that empowers high school students to establish and operate authentic business ventures under the guidance of committed mentors from the local business community. Fueled by their passion, the teenage entrepreneurs identified an unmet consumer need, successfully garnered investors for their venture, and adeptly crafted and marketed their innovative product or service.
"JA students gain invaluable experience by applying essential business skills, such as effective leadership and operational efficiencies, in real-world scenarios, which is vital for success in the business landscape," stated de la Mata Little, President and CEO of JA Miami. "The JA Company of the Year competition promotes entrepreneurship education in the United States."
The achievement of Charm Dept. from the greater Miami area in winning the ICE Best Financial Performance Award at the 2025 Future Bound Event highlights their financial expertise, business acumen, and dedication to entrepreneurial success. Junior Achievement applauds their remarkable achievements and supports the continued growth of these aspiring young entrepreneurs as they contribute to future economic prosperity.
About Junior Achievement of Greater Miami
At JA Miami, we believe that every child can be inspired and empowered to succeed financially. Our graduates are confident, practical, knowledgeable, and most importantly, prepared.
How? We know that we can change their path, and change their lives, by teaching kids about money: how to earn it, save it, spend it, and share it. We provide hands-on, in-school learning experiences in underserved Miami public schools, taught by community volunteers, in everything from budgeting and loans to career readiness and entrepreneurship. Free to students, delivered by us, and funded by partners and donors. We have been awarded Five Star Status by JA USA for exceptional performance, as well as the Miami Chamber of Commerce’s 2024 NOVO Award, and our global chapter has been nominated for the last three Nobel Peace Prizes.
About Junior Achievement USA® (JA)
Junior Achievement is the world's largest organization dedicated to giving young people the knowledge and skills they need to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make smart academic and economic choices. JA learning experiences are delivered by corporate and community volunteers and provide relevant, hands-on experiences that give students from kindergarten through high school knowledge and skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. Additionally, Junior Achievement is expanding its reach to 18-to-25-year-olds to provide young adults with critical life skills, as well as to pre-K youth to ensure children get a solid head start. Today, JA reaches more than 4.6 million students per year in nearly 100 markets across the United States as part of 19.9 million students served by operations in more than 100 other countries worldwide. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.
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