During the 2026 tecBRIDGE High School Business Plan Competition, four of the five finalist teams came from the Greater Hazleton Area. Kenedy Lutz and Ruhani Shah, juniors from MMI Preparatory School, created Kayari, a clean, athlete-focused hair care system designed to protect, cleanse, and hydrate hair affected by sweat, friction, and buildup, with a focus on supporting scalp health and curl patterns. We connected with them to learn more about their experience so far. 

For those who may not know you, please share your full name, the school you represent, and why you chose to participate in this year’s competition. 

Kenedy Lutz: My name is Kenedy Lutz and I attend MMI Preparatory School. I chose to participate in the High School Business Plan Competition because I thought it would be a great opportunity for me to experience part of the business world. I also want to go into marketing, so I thought this would be a good way to practice and understand what I want to do in the future. 

Ruhani Shah: My name is Ruhani Shah, and I attend MMI Preparatory School. I chose to participate in the tecBRIDGE High School Business Plan Competition because I am interested in pursuing Business Marketing and Sales in college. I wanted to challenge myself, gain real-world experience, and explore my interests further, and this competition gave me exactly that opportunity. 

How does it feel to represent the Hazleton community? 

Kenedy Lutz: Even though I do not live in Hazleton, I feel very proud. I have been going to school here for about 5 years and I do feel like a part of the community. 

Ruhani Shah: Even though I don’t live directly in Hazleton, it feels great to represent this community because of how welcoming and supportive it has been. 

What does this opportunity mean to you? 

Kenedy Lutz: It means a lot because it shows I tried my best and did good in this competition. It also shows that I can be successful in my future career of business. It also means a lot to me because I worked hard on this project and competition and my hard work is being appreciated by being able to experience this. 

Ruhani Shah: This opportunity means a lot to me because it has allowed me to expand my knowledge of business and entrepreneurship. I’ve learned how to start a business, manage the financial side, and effectively market and sell a product. It has also helped me build confidence in communication and networking, which are skills I know will benefit me in the future. 

Can you describe your journey to reaching this stage of the competition? 

Kenedy Lutz: It was very fun, but very time-consuming. It was a lot of hard work, but it was all worth it. It was a lot of meetings, skipping class, and calls deciding what we were going to name it, and practicing our presentation on the stairs or whenever we were walking. 

Ruhani Shah: The journey was definitely not easy. My partner and I started with a general interest in our career choice, business and sports, and from there, we worked to develop a unique product idea that could benefit athletes, especially those who may not always receive recognition. That’s how we created our product, Kayari. We worked closely with our advisors to develop our concept, marketing strategy, and overall business plan. One of the most challenging parts was choosing the right name, but once we finalized that, we focused on building our presentation and pitch. We practiced extensively and received a lot of helpful feedback from our advisors, especially on our financials and delivery, which helped prepare us for the live presentation. 

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

Kenedy Lutz: I would say do it, it is a lot of fun, but a lot of work. It is fun creating something that is your own that you made with your partner. Also have an idea of things when you decide you are going to do it and once you make it into top 10, make sure your presentation is ready to practice. 

Ruhani Shah: My advice would be to choose something you are genuinely interested in or passionate about, whether you’re working alone or with a partner. It makes a huge difference when you truly understand your idea, because it becomes much easier to explain, develop, and present. 

For more information about tecBRIDGE’s High School Business Plan Competition, contact Ana Perez at aperez@hazletoncando.com.