King’s Academy celebrated the graduation of the fourth cohort of students participating in the entrepreneurship program established under the Tawfiq Fakhouri Endowment for Entrepreneurship and Leadership.

The semester-long program concluded with a “Shark Tank”-inspired pitch competition, during which students presented their business ideas to a panel of judges from the fields of business, strategy, and entrepreneurship.

Launched in 2021 by sTF5 Care, the Tawfiq Fakhouri Endowment for Entrepreneurship and Leadership at King’s Academy aims to cultivate a generation of empowered youth equipped with entrepreneurial thinking, leadership skills and the ability to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges.

The event brought together mentors, parents, and members of the King’s Academy community to support the students and celebrate their achievements.

Addressing attendees, Head of School Penny Townsend emphasized the importance of resilience and entrepreneurial thinking, particularly in challenging times.

“Entrepreneurship is not about perfect conditions. It is about resilience, continuing when things are unclear and finding solutions when the path is not straightforward,” she said, praising students for their perseverance, creativity and commitment throughout the program.

Speaking on behalf of sTF5 Care, Shireen Faraj, Director of sTF5 Care, reflected on the purpose behind the Tawfiq Fakhouri Program and the belief that investing in youth is the most meaningful investment our society can make. Addressing the students directly, she said: “You came into this program as learners. Moving forward, you will stand tall as problem-solvers and future leaders.” Mrs. Faraj emphasized that the Program was created to help young people believe in their ability to shape the future and drive meaningful change across the region and beyond.

A total of seven teams participated in this year’s competition, presenting a diverse range of business ideas shaped through months of research, ideation, prototyping, problem and solution validation, and a rigorous mentorship journey designed to strengthen both their entrepreneurial thinking and real-world entrepreneurs' execution.

The judging panel included Amer Naserddin, Founder of Primus and Yaseer; Ruba Darwish, Country Manager – Jordan and Regional Business Development Manager; and Moataz Mukheimer, Strategy and Finance Architect.

Supporting the students throughout the program were mentors Tamer AlMasri, Co-Founder of Jobedu and Endeavor Entrepreneur; Goretti Arnaste, Director of the Core Opportunities Venture Studio at HTU; Noora Shanak, Co-Founder of ShopGo; Amer Naserddin, Co-Founder of Primus and Yaseer; Hanan Shahin, serial entrepreneur and startup advisor; and Carole Al Far, GTM advisor and venture growth strategist.

Winners
After careful deliberation, the judges awarded first place to Looma for Manufacturing, presented by Ghaith Alissa ’27, Ghazi Alwindawi ’27, Jude Al Bayaa ’27, Nada Tbyshat ’27 and Hamzeh Malkawi ’27. Looma is a textile infrastructure platform that aggregates orders from small fashion brands, enabling them to meet factory minimums and access bulk pricing. By consolidating demand, Looma reduces production costs and increases efficiency for emerging clothing businesses.

Second place went to Isharati (إشارتي), presented by George Banna ’28. Isharati is an application that translates Levantine Arabic Sign Language (LASL) into spoken languages such as Arabic, English, and French, aiming to improve communication and accessibility for the deaf community.

Third place was awarded to Dukkan Jamal (دكان جمل), presented by Faris Barouni ’28, Banah Allawama ’27, Karam Qaqish ’28 and Muhannad Alamarat ’28. Dukkan Jamal is a digital marketplace that introduces DNA-backed verification for high-value livestock transactions, providing transparency for sellers, trust for buyers, and security across the transaction process.

In addition to the winning teams, four other teams participated in this year’s competition:

• Buzzly App for food expiry dates: Dahyun Jung ’27, Seoyeon Park ’27
• SAFA sanitizing kit: Maya AlDaraien ’28, Haya Qutaifan ’28, Rahmah Hammouri ’28, Jude Naghawi ’28
• Verifix API for lawyers: Joelle AlFakhouri ’28, Lamar Atoom ’27, Farah Qerba ’27, Dina Alrahahleh ’28, Zain Jarrar ’28
• Zakhar Eco Bags: Salma Alnimat ’28, Tusem Yaseen ’28, Rose Eteiwi ’28

More than a shark-tank style competition, the program provides students with a platform to develop critical thinking, problem-solving and collaboration skills, while building the confidence to transform ideas into actionable ventures. Through this experience, students learn to navigate uncertainty, respond to feedback and think creatively, skills that will serve them well in their future academic and professional paths.