During the 2024 tecBRIDGE High School Business Plan Competition, five out of the nine teams that presented in the live presentation round were from the Greater Hazleton Area. In celebration of this accomplishment, we sat down with Katy Harmonosky, one of our area’s participants, to learn more about her and her business plan project.

For those who may not know you, tell us who you are, what school you’re representing, and why you’re participating in this year’s competition.

Hi, I’m Katy Harmonosky and I attend the Hazleton Area Academy of Sciences. I decided to submit my business idea because I wanted to try something new and push myself out of my comfort zone. I also wanted to gain the valuable experience of participating in a competition like this.

How does it feel to represent the community of Hazleton?

It feels important to support Hazleton because it shows that local people are capable of being innovative and creative.

Can you describe the journey of reaching this point in the competition?

It was fun to try to create a solution. I like to problem-solve by improvising creative techniques so when I was informed that I would be moving on to the next round, I was surprised and excited. At this point, I’m working on my presenting skills in hopes of making it to the final round.

What significance does this opportunity hold for you?

To me, this opportunity shows that I am capable of things, even if I didn’t think I could do it. Had I not participated, I wouldn’t have known how successful I’d be.

What advice would you give to fellow students interested in joining the High School Business Plan Competition next year?

My advice is that your idea can come from any inconvenience that you want to solve in the world. Once you start talking about your idea, it slowly starts to solve itself. 

For more information about tecBRIDGE’s High School Business Plan Competition, contact Jocelyn Sterenchock at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..