EMPOWERING INNOVATORS:

THE ULTIMATE HIGH SCHOOL ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE

The Diamond Challenge invites high school students worldwide to build solutions to solve problems they are passionate about and join a growing community of innovators and changemakers.

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INFINITE POSSIBILITIES

Diamond Challenge unites young innovators from around the world through a common goal: innovation. Teams come together to pursue their passion, share ideas, and create the world they envision.

COMMUNITY

PASSION

CREATIVITY

UNLEASHING POTENTIAL

Each year teams with the most promising ideas are awarded prize funding to develop their venture or support higher education aspirations. Every participant has the opportunity to grow their network, gain valuable feedback, and discover future collaborations.

GRAND PRIZES

Awards are given to the top three teams in both business innovation, presented by CSC, and social innovation tracks to advance their entrepreneurial journeys.

1st Place: $12,000

2nd Place: $8,000

3rd Place: $4,500

Competition Details

TOPICAL PRIZES

Our topical prizes celebrate teams that exhibit expertise in specific areas.

From sustainability to technological innovation, we recognize the unique and the specialized.

Delaware Solid Waste Authority logo

The Delaware Solid Waste Authority Waste & Recycling Innovation Prize

Awarded to the teams that develop an advancement in the waste or recycling industry that fosters sustainability within both the community and the environment.

W.L. Gore and Associates logo.

The Gore Innovation Excellence Prize

Awarded to the teams who best represent the application of technology to improving lives.

HORN

Pathways to Progress Prize

Recognizing entrepreneurial excellence in developing solutions that strengthen community access to resources and create sustainable paths to prosperity.

HORN

The Horn Entrepreneurship Global Prize

Awarded to the top global teams that demonstrate extraordinary entrepreneurship excellence and embody the true spirit of the Diamond Challenge.

CHANGEMAKERS. INNOVATORS. ENTREPRENEURS.

Everyone’s journey is different.

Meet a few of the incredible Diamond Challenge alumni making a positive impact around the world.

Sebastein Burkhardt & Barrett Deng

2022 FINALIST

Clore just passed another round of testing and we are now working on rolling out our product to neighborhoods in high fire risk areas!

Ariadne Papouli

2021 FINALIST

I’m currently studying Business Administration and Law (BBALLB) at IE University in Madrid, Spain. My involvement in the Diamond Challenge played a key role in helping me discover my passion for business and shaped a strong profile that contributed to receiving the Young Entrepreneur scholarship at my university!

Andrew Ko

2022 FINALIST

I am pursuing a major in Computer Engineering and a minor in Entrepreneurial Leadership at Clemson University. I am invovled in the Clemson Running Club, TedXClemsonU tech team, and Cru Fellowship. I am also in the process of developing ideas for the Spark Entrepreneurship Challenge under Clemson’s College of Engineering Computing and Applied Sciences.

Hans Kamat & Evan Kamat

2023 FINALIST

We have been fortunate to win the Grand Price in the National Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challege. (Grades 9-12) and the 2023 Grand Prize Missouri After-School Network Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge for the Benchwarmer. We met with our patent attorney and submitting a trademark of the name and utility patent. We have 500 Benchwarmers on order and met with a sports catalog company to feature the product.

Peter Liu

2021 FINALIST

I am a proud Blue Devil studying ECE at Duke! I do research involving Large Language Models, pursue side Machine Learning related projects, and engage with startup community at Duke. In my free time, I learn Mixed Martial Arts with members of Duke MMA or travel, whether it’s national park hikes or around Europe.

 

Grace Liu

2025 FINALIST

For my nonprofit Research to Empower’s (ReTE) initiatives, I’m currently preparing to launch the AI-powered research education app on the App Store as well as working on expanding the workshop curriculum. This summer, I’m interning full-time at the Long Island Children’s Museum through the Bank of America Student Leaders Program, supporting educational programming for underserved communities, and was recently honored as a Top 50 Finalist for the Chegg Global Student Prize out of 11,000 applicants worldwide, allowing me to reach wider audiences to speak on issues of education equity.

 

Sponsors

The Diamond Challenge expresses our deep gratitude for our sponsors for their invaluable support and generous contributions to empowering and inspiring the next generation of entrepreneurs. The platform benefits from the expertise and experience of 2,000+ professionals who have served as mentors, judges, speakers and workshop leaders.

Paul & Linda McConnell Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative

Delaware Solid Waste Authority logo
Corporation Service Company logo
W.L. Gore and Associates logo.
Capital One logo.
University of Delaware Horn Entrepreneurship logo.
HeadWay Logo Sponsor