BASIS Independent Schools

BASIS Independent SchoolsBASIS Independent Schools
Inquire

Awards & Recognition

2023 – 2024 Startups at Spring Competition: Creativity

by Leave a Comment

Thinking of a creative and unique business idea is a challenge for even the globe’s most talented and proven business professionals. Give that same challenge to a group of high school students all attending exceptional schools and the results are sure to impress. How could students in Grades 9 – 12 create a start-up idea, product, or service from inception to implementation? One that would also impress a panel of judges made up of industry professionals? That’s what a group of educators discovered at the Startups at Spring Competition. 

The competition is open to high school students attending a Spring Education school and focuses on a specific type of business start-up. This year’s theme was creativity and it allowed the students to think outside of the box and present their ideas, first to their local school, and then one team from each school was selected and invited to attend a network-wide competition. Students then made the same presentation but, instead of it being in front of their peers and school administration, it was in front of industry professionals. 

The professionals judge the competition on the feasibility and profitability of each idea presented. Judges listened to see if the teams explained their business idea clearly, was it unique, and implemented the year’s theme. Beyond those basic judging expectations, they also sought to see if the team understood and addressed the financial challenges of starting a business, did they effectively present their market strategy, and could they answer confidently improvisational questions regarding their “pitch”. 

Ms. Jaymie Silva, BASIS Independent Schools Subject Expert Teacher and organizer of the competition said, “I’m always impressed by what our students are capable of and I appreciate that this competition is open to all high school students across our network of schools. These students develop their ideas and compete in their free time and the passion and engagement in their projects show. They are truly dedicated to making our future world better with their ideas and I can’t wait to see what they come up with next!” 

Third Place (awarded $2,000)

Team Name: Inclusive Experience Corp
Team Members: Stella C. (Grade 10) and Dashiell S. (Grade 10)
School: BASIS Independent Manhattan

Start-Up: The Inclusive Experience Organization (TIEO)
Selected Charity: Adaptive Design Association

Pitch: As music enthusiasts continue to bemoan outrageous concert prices and how they aren’t able to attend concerts due to economic conflicts, they forget that most venues aren’t even accessible to all fans. 

The Inclusive Experience Organization (TIEO) would make the concert experience available for those who have a disability that prevents them from physically attending the venue but still want to enjoy their favorite singer’s performances. Through virtual reality, we plan on solving this issue as well as addressing physiological and psychological disabilities.

Team Take Away

“We want to say we are proud of ourselves as we are some of the younger participants and we feel inspired that we were able to bring an altruistic purpose to this competition.”

To view their entire presentation, click here. 

Second Place (awarded $3,000)

Team Name: Slidebean
Team Members: Shoshana E. (Grade 12)
School: Laurel Springs

Start-Up: HelpUnplugged
Selected Charity: Hostage and Missing Families Forum

Pitch: HelpUnplugged is an AI portable assistance for off-the-grid health concerns. Currently, no smart diagnostic tools with offline capabilities exist for public use. No offline messaging systems exist to link patients with medical help directly. Unwell hikers in remote locations face gnawing worry and possible danger. In Arizona County, 12 hikers died from medical emergencies in remote locations over just 13 years. 

HelpUnplugged would be an AI diagnostic tool that functions completely offline; obtaining vital signs and symptoms, processing data, and signaling help. HelpUnlpugeed will ensure that hikers in peril are aware of their condition and prevent further complications. 

Team Take Away

“Startups at Spring was an amazing experience. The project I pitched related to neural networks and offline communication, but participating in Startups at Spring taught me far more than just machine learning — from the mechanics of marketing to the technicality of TAM calculations. I hope to use what I have learned in college and beyond, and I am so grateful for the opportunity to compete.”

To view their entire presentation, click here.

First Place (awarded $5,000)

Team Name: Claw-Some Cash Cats
Team Members: Zitao (Tommy) D. (Grade 10), Charan S. (Grade 10), and Anshay C. (Grade 10)
School: BASIS Independent Silicon Valley

Start-Up: flAIvr
Selected Charity: Amnesty International

Pitch: Video call an AI chef anytime, anywhere. It is difficult for inexperienced home cooks and people who just want to cook something with the ingredients and equipment they have in hand to actually have a good cooking experience. More than half of Americans struggle with the most basic recipes. Pacing, unfamiliar or difficult techniques, and inaccessible ingredients and equipment all cause this struggle. 

flAIvr is a personalized AI cooking assistant that guides users through video calls with the AI for guidance and assistance in their cooking. 

Team Take Away

“The Startup at Spring contest has been an incredible journey for the three of us. The process of turning a creative idea into a feasible business was a valuable opportunity for us to gain entrepreneurial experience and have fun along the way. We are proud to donate our cash prize to Amnesty International to help defend the human rights of oppressed groups worldwide. Lastly, we would like to thank Ms. Silva for her dedication and generous support throughout our journey.”

To view their entire presentation, click here. 

Congratulations to all the students who participated! 

Expert Judging Panel

Mr. Gordon Green is Co-Founder / Partner at Jordan Partners. Before forming Jordan, he spent eleven years at Light Street Capital in Palo Alto investing in public and private technology companies globally. While at Light Street, Gordon served on the Investment Committee and helped the firm scale from approximately $30M to $3B in AUM across long/short, long-only, and growth equity vehicles. Prior to Light Street, Gordon started his career as an analyst in the Financial Institutions Group at UBS in New York, where he advised banks and insurance companies on M&A and capital markets activities. 

Gordon earned a bachelor’s degree in Commerce with a concentration in Finance from the University of Virginia’s McIntire School of Commerce.

Mr. David Jen serves as the Managing Director of Finance and Corporate Development at X, Alphabet’s Moonshot Factory, where he is responsible for driving business growth through strategic planning and partnerships. In this role, David has led investments in self-driving cars (Waymo), drone delivery (Wing), novel approaches to cyber security (Chronicle), as well as Alphabet’s bets in sustainability and accessibility.

In addition to his full-time role at X, David is also a board member at Quincus, a SaaS logistics company based in Singapore that powers some of the largest 3PLs in the world and a venture partner at UP.Partners, where he invests in technologies that will enable a greener and more accessible planet.

Before joining X, David held various finance roles at Google and worked in consulting and banking. He is also actively involved in volunteering, serving as a board member for the Tufts University Derby School of Entrepreneurship and on the advisory committee for the Asian American Fund. In his free time, David enjoys binge-watching TV from the 90s, listening to music he’s embarrassed to tell people about, and hanging out with his wife and two young children.

Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai and Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, web3, and enterprise software companies in Silicon Valley, investing in 200+ early-stage technology companies (including several unicorns and companies that have gone public), private businesses, and PE/VC funds.

Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent-sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015.  Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from zero to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford University & MIT.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded seven U.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three-time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.

Nearly 60% of Class of 2024 Recognized by National Merit Scholarship Program

by Leave a Comment

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the Semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program and nearly 60% of BASIS Independent Schools Class of 2024 have been recognized as Semifinalists and Commended Scholars this school year.

20% of the Class of 2024 have been named Semifinalists across our five high schools including BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Fremont, Manhattan, McLean, and Silicon Valley. Each state has different cutoff scores for the honors, and our BASIS Independent Schools are in some of the most competitive states – California, New York, and Virginia — for semifinalist qualification.

These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.

High school juniors entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

Since 1955, the NMSC has been well-recognized as a marker of academic excellence. Each year, BASIS Independent Schools students are honored for their academic achievements. In addition to our stand-out Senior Year experience offered at our school, which encompasses content-rich Capstone Classes and The Senior Project, the distinction bestowed upon our students equips them with the ability to present themselves exceptionally well during the college admissions process uniquely.

“This is a reflection of all the hard work of our students and Subject Expert Teachers,” said Vice President of BASIS Independent Schools, Mr. Toby Walker. “We have every confidence that our program equips our students with the skills, knowledge, and experience to take high stakes assessments such as the PSAT, SAT, and Advanced Placement® exams so that they can gain this type of recognition.”

“Having our students recognized at this national level fills all of us with immense pride and we look forward to celebrating our semi-finalists becoming finalists,” expressed Mr. Walker.

Congratulations to the Class of 2024!

BASIS Independent Schools Secure Top Spots in 2024 Niche Rankings

by Leave a Comment

The 2024 Niche private school rankings have been released, and BASIS Independent Schools maintains its position as a national leader in K–12 education. We are excited that our network’s campuses consistently received significant national recognition year after year. These rankings are a testament to the strength of the internationally benchmarked BASIS Curriculum, the unwavering dedication of our Learning and Subject Expert Teachers and their steadfast commitment to equipping students for success as they embark on their journey to excel in the world’s top colleges and universities.

The BASIS Independent Schools network encompasses six campuses across the country, with three of them having graduated classes: BASIS Independent Brooklyn, McLean and Silicon Valley.

Niche is the leader in K–12 school rankings and provides in-depth profiles on every school in America using powerful search and data tools. The 2024 Niche Best Private High Schools Rankings are based on a rigorous analysis of key statistics, data, and millions of reviews from students and parents. Ranking factors include SAT/ACT scores, the quality of colleges that students consider, student-teacher ratio, private school ratings, and more. The data is sourced from the U.S. Department of Education, Niche users, and the schools directly.

Please note: The following rankings highlight BASIS Independent McLean, BASIS Independent Brooklyn, and BASIS Independent Silicon Valley. BASIS Independent Manhattan and BASIS Independent Fremont, will have their first graduating class this school year, Class of 2024 and we look ahead to their 2025 Niche rankings! The newest addition to our network, BASIS Independent Bellevue, will have its first graduating class in 2028!

BASIS Independent Schools 2024 Niche Rankings

BASIS Independent McLean

#1 Best Private K–12 Schools in Virginia

#1 Best College Prep Private High Schools in Virginia

#1 Best Private High Schools in Virginia

#1 Best Private High Schools in Washington, D.C. Area

#7 Best College Prep High Schools in America

#10 Best Private K-12 Schools in America

BASIS Independent Brooklyn

#1 Best College Prep Private High Schools in Brooklyn

#8 Best High School for STEM in New York State

#9 Best College Prep Private High Schools in New York State

#11 Best College Prep Private High Schools in New York City Metro Area (including NJ, CT)

#15 Best Private K–12 Schools in New York City

#30 Best Private K–12 Schools in America

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley

#2 Best High Schools for STEM in America

#2 Best High Schools for STEM in California

#2 Best High Schools for STEM in the San Francisco Bay Area

Also noteworthy, is the Niche Overall Score for each campus is either A or A+!

All of our campuses performed exceptionally well on measures aligned to our core mission: raising the standards of student learning to the highest international levels. Some campuses made great strides from their rankings from 2023, and in areas like College Prep and STEM, several of our campuses received top honors.

As noted above, some outstanding achievements this year for our network include the following:

  • BASIS Independent McLean was again named #1 in Best College Prep High School in Virginia and also maintained their #1 spot for best Private K–12 School and Best Private High School in Virginia.
  • For the second year in a row, BASIS Independent Brooklyn has been recognized among the Best College Prep Private High Schools in Brooklyn and New York, and BIB also moved up in several rankings including the Best Private K–12 Schools in New York.
  • BASIS Independent Silicon Valley has reclaimed its ranking as the #2 Best Private High School for STEM in America, California, and the San Francisco Bay Area.


Toby Walker, Vice President of BASIS Independent Schools, offered this statement: “This recognition confirms what BASIS Independent students and families already know,” says Mr. Walker. “We have exceptional schools, populated by Subject Expert Teachers, and remarkable students who are inspired daily to raise their potential and achieve outstanding academic outcomes.”

Our sincerest congratulations to each school within the BASIS Independent Schools network, including our students, faculty and staff, school administration, and parents, for the outstanding national rankings we’ve achieved this school year! The passion, drive, and resilience within the BASIS Independent Schools community is inspiring and we eagerly anticipate setting new standards year after year.

3 BASIS Independent McLean Students Honored as National Merit Semifinalists

by

On Wednesday, September 13, 2023, officials of the National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced the Semifinalists in the 69th annual National Merit Scholarship Program – including 3 BASIS Independent McLean students. These academically talented high school seniors have an opportunity to continue in the competition for some 7,140 National Merit Scholarships worth nearly $28 million that will be offered next spring.

High school juniors entered the 2024 National Merit Scholarship Program by taking the 2022 Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. The nationwide pool of Semifinalists, representing less than one percent of U.S. high school seniors, includes the highest-scoring entrants in each state.

“Congratulations to our Red-Tailed Hawk National Merit Scholarship semi-finalists! We could not be prouder of them. They are all such great examples of what can happen when you work hard and dedicate yourself to the pursuit of academic greatness.” said Jason Shorbe, Head of School at BASIS Independent McLean. 

The honored students at BASIS Independent McLean are:

Chelsea H. ’24

Paulina H.’24 (Not Pictured)

Orien L.’24

From over 16,000 Semifinalists, more than 15,000 are expected to advance to the Finalist level, and in February they will be notified of this designation. All National Merit Scholarship winners will be selected from this group of Finalists. The scholarship winners of 2024 will be announced in four nationwide news releases beginning in April and concluding in July. These scholarship recipients will join more than 375,000 other distinguished young people who have earned the Merit Scholar title.

On behalf of all BASIS Independent Schools, we are so proud of you – and of all of our students – for your continual academic achievements both big and small. Please join us in congratulating our incredible Red-Tailed Hawks!

Seven BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Students Named National Merit Scholarship Winners in 2023!

by

From approximately 1.5 million students who entered the 2023 National Merit Scholarship Program, only about 16,000 were named Semifinalists – 31 of them were BASIS Independent Silicon Valley students. Of those 16,000 Semifinalists, just over 15,000 were named Finalists – all 31 of our Semifinalists were named Finalists.

Of the 31 Finalists, seven of our students have now been named Winners!

Congratulations to Annie C., Dhanvi G., Sayuri G., Alyson J., Trisha R., Meha S., and Rohit V. who have been announced as National Merit Scholarship Winners! We are so proud of our Bobcats!

Annie C .

Alyson J.

Dhanvi G.

Trisha R.

Rohit V.

Sayuri G.

Meha S.

The recipients of this award are the winners in each state judged to have the strongest combination of accomplishments, skills, and potential for success in rigorous college studies. The number of winners named in each state is proportional to the state’s percentage of the nation’s graduating high school seniors.

These Scholars were selected by a committee of college admissions officers and high school counselors, who appraised a substantial amount of information submitted by both the Finalists and their high schools: the academic record, including difficulty level of subjects studied and grades earned; scores from two standardized tests; contributions and leadership in school and community activities; an essay written by the Finalist; and a recommendation written by a high school official.

This year’s National Merit Scholarship Program began in Fall 2021 when over 1.6 million juniors in approximately 22,000 high schools took the Preliminary SAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (PSAT/NMSQT®), which served as an initial screen of program entrants. Last fall, the highest-scoring participants in each state, representing less than one percent of the nation’s high school seniors, were named Semifinalists on a state-representational basis. Only these 16,000 Semifinalists had an opportunity to continue in the competition.

From the Semifinalist group, some 15,000 students met the very high academic standards and other requirements to advance to the Finalist level of the competition. By the conclusion of the 2023 program, about 7,200 Finalists will have earned the Merit Scholar title and received a total of over $28 million in college scholarships.

Congratulations to our winners!

BASIS Independent Silicon Valley is a TK – Grade 12 private school, providing students with an internationally benchmarked liberal arts and sciences curriculum, with advanced STEM offerings.

Debate Team Claims Championship Title at Tournament

by

A big Mountaineer congratulations to our exceptional middle school debate team for their remarkable achievement at the 2023 Seattle University Speech and Debate tournament. BASIS Independent Bellevue students placed first and second in the team competition. In the individual competition, our Mountaineers also placed well.

Their outstanding performance and dedication earned them a well-deserved place among the top contenders. With their eloquence and critical thinking, our talented students have proven themselves as formidable debaters in a highly competitive arena.

Team Competition:

First Place Overall:
Angelina J.
Sophia T.

Second Place Overall:
Rhea G.
Peggy L.

In the team competition, students had to debate the topic: The United States Federal Government should ban the collection of personal data through biometric recognition technology.”

Our students also experienced success in individual competitions.

Individual Competition:
Angelina J., 3rd Place
Howard H., 3rd Place
Sophia T., 4th Place
Rhea G., 6th Place
Peggy L., 7th Place

We commend their hard work, tireless preparation, and exceptional debate talent. This is an impressive accomplishment and a testament to their abilities and the guidance of their dedicated coach.

Join us in celebrating their success and applauding their achievement as they continue to shine brightly in the world of debate.

BASIS Independent Bellevue, a private school, opened with Grades 2 – 7 to start and will add a grade level each school year as we expand to a full middle and high school (Grades 5 – 12).

BASIS Independent Schools Mean Business

by

Congratulations to “Rainbow,” our student team from BASIS Independent Fremont, on winning the inaugural “BINS Means Business” competition. This is a startup pitch contest that any high school student or student team from each of our BASIS Independent Schools (BINS) can enter. The contestants competed locally at each of their schools, presenting a business idea following the Y Combinator pitch deck format. Then the school winners advanced to the finals, which were held on February 25th over Zoom. The five finalists split $10,000, with $5,000 and $2,000 awarded to the winner and runner-up, to allocate to a charity of their choice.

Angela Z. and Lauren W., both students in BASIS Independent Fremont’s Class of 2026, presented their innovative idea for an environmentally friendly and biodegradable smart umbrella – the Parapluie. All of the judges were impressed by the sophistication of their presentation as well as the great potential of their product. “I’m ready to order mine right away,” commented one judge!

“We could not have done it without the help of Mr. Ong, our instructors, and our peers, who have supported us and guided us throughout this entire journey,” said Angela and Lauren. “It’s been a great pleasure to have worked with everyone along the way, and we’re honestly a bit sad that it’s over! Those couple of sleepless nights and that intense feeling of stressing out before each round will only pass down as precious memories. So, thank you, everyone, for supporting us so that we could see a rainbow at the end of this memorable road!”

Mr. Ong, Economics and Business Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Fremont expressed his pride and congratulations.

“Heartiest congratulations to Angela and Lauren, co-founders of the Rainbow Company, for their outstanding performance. It was a pleasure to work with them on this project. This inaugural business competition at BASIS Independent Schools is a great initiative to strengthen the BASIS Curriculum in business and finance, and, as a DECA advisor, I look forward to continuing to nurture our students’ business drive and lay the foundation for their future success in college and beyond.”

Second place was awarded to Scarlett S. in BASIS Independent Manhattan’s class of 2024 with her company Gard-Eco, a home delivery service for home gardens in New York City.




Scarlett S., Class of 2024

“I loved stepping out of my comfort zone by participating in this competition, and I am so grateful for this amazing learning experience,” said Scarlett.

Student teams competing in the final all received prizes of $1,000, with the winning team receiving $5,000 and the second place team $2,000. The money is donated to a charity or cause of choice.

Rainbow has decided to donate their prize money to the charity Doctors Without Borders. GardEco has selected the organization Choose Creativity.

Congratulations are also in order to our three school finalists across the network:

  • Brooklyn – Alexa L. ’24 pitched a Sustainable Fashion app that would help facilitate used clothes donations and drive consumers to purchase from sustainable clothing retailers. She will donate her $1,000 prize to Little Essentials, a non-profit in Brooklyn helping underserviced families with gently used clothing donations for babies and children.
  • McLean – Melis O. and Shaun J. ’24 pitched their Sustainability Index Platform and Marketplace concept. They will donate their $1,000 prize to Turkish Philanthropy Funds.
  • Silicon Valley – Roshan A., Nathan W., and Max W. ’24 pitched a business idea called Chlarity. They donated their $1,000 prize to Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

BINS Means Business – Expert Judging Panel

Ms. Catherine Lu
Ms. Catherine Lu is a venture capital investor at Alumni Ventures, where she makes investments in startups at their earliest stages of development. Previously, she held product management roles at DataVisor and Palantir. Prior to that, she co-founded a retail analytics startup that was acquired by Palantir. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.

Mr. Amrit Saxena
Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai and Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, web3, and enterprise software companies in Silicon Valley, investing in 200+ early-stage technology companies (including several unicorns and companies that have gone public), private businesses, and PE/VC funds.

Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent-sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015. Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from zero to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford University & MIT.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded sevenU.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three-time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.

Mr. James Shin
Mr. James Shinn is a general manager and entrepreneur with a series of technology start-ups in the fields of digital signal processing, cyber security, data analytics, autonomous mobility, cryptocurrency, and generative artificial intelligence. He has a Bachelor of Arts and Ph.D. from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University.

BASIS Independent Schools Means Business Competition: Fremont Claims Inaugural Title

by

Congratulations to “Rainbow,” the student team from BASIS Independent Fremont, on winning the inaugural “BINS Means Business” competition. This is a startup pitch contest that any high school student or student team from each of our BASIS Independent Schools (BINS) can enter.  The contestants competed locally at each of their schools presenting a business idea following the Y Combinator pitch deck format.  Then the school winners advanced to the finals which were held February 25th over Zoom. The five finalists split $10,000, with $5,000 and $[2,000] awarded to the winner and runner up, to allocate to a charity of their choice.  This year’s theme was “sustainability” and students participated from BASIS Independent Brooklyn, Fremont, Manhattan, McLean, and Silicon Valley.

Angela Z. and Lauren W. both students in BASIS Independent Fremont’s Class of 2026 presented their innovative idea for an environmentally friendly and biodegradable smart umbrella – the Parapluie. All of the judges were impressed by the sophistication of their presentation as well as the great potential for their product. “I’m ready to order mine right away,” commented one judge!

“We could not have done it without the help of Mr. Ong, our instructors, and our peers, who have supported us and guided us throughout this entire journey,” said Angela and Lauren. “It’s been a great pleasure to have worked with everyone along the way and we’re honestly a bit sad that it’s over! Those couple of sleepless nights and that intense feeling of stressing out before each round will only pass down as precious memories. So, thank you everyone, for supporting us, so that we could see a rainbow at the end of this memorable road!”

Mr. Ong, Economics and Business Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Fremont expressed his pride and congratulations.

“Heartiest congratulations to Angela and Lauren, co-founders of the Rainbow Company, for their outstanding performance. It was a pleasure to work with them on this project. This inaugural business competition at BASIS Independent Schools is a great initiative to strengthen the BASIS Curriculum in business and finance, and, as a DECA advisor, I look forward to continuing to nurture our students’ business drive and lay the foundation for their future success in college and beyond.”

Second place was awarded to Scarlett S. in BASIS Independent Manhattan’s class of 2024 with her company Gard-Eco, a home delivery service for home gardens in New York City.

Scarlett S., Class of 2024

“I loved stepping out of my comfort zone by participating in this competition, and I am so grateful for this amazing learning experience,” said Scarlett.

Student teams competing in the final all received prizes of $1,000 with the winning team receiving $5,000 and the second place team, $2,000. The money is donated to a charity or cause of choice.

Rainbow has decided to donate their prize money to the charity Doctors Without Borders. GardEco has selected the organization Choose Creativity.

Congratulations are also in order to our three school finalists across the network:

  • Brooklyn – Alexa L. ’24 pitched a Sustainable Fashion app that would help facilitate used clothes donations and drive consumers to purchase from sustainable clothing retailers. She will donate her $1,000 prize to Little Essentials, a non-profit in Brooklyn helping underserviced families with gently used clothing donations for babies and children.
  • McLean – Melis O. and Shaun J. ’24 pitched their Sustainability Index Platform and Marketplace concept. They will donate their $1,000 prize to Turkish Philanthropy Funds

  • Silicon Valley – Roshan A., Nathan W., and Max W. ’24 pitched a business idea called Chlarity. They donated their $1,000 prize to Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

BINS Means Business – Expert Judging Panel

Ms. Catherine Lu

Ms. Catherine Lu is a venture capital investor at Alumni Ventures, where she makes investments into startups at their earliest stages of development. Previously, she held product management roles at DataVisor and Palantir. Prior to that, she co-founded a retail analytics startup that was acquired by Palantir. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.

Mr. Amrit Saxena

Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai and Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, web3, and enterprise software companies in the Silicon Valley, investing in 200+ early stage technology companies (including several unicorns and companies that have gone public), private businesses, and PE/VC funds.

Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015.  Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from zero to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford University & MIT.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded sevenU.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.

Mr. James Shin

Mr. James Shinn is a general manager and entrepreneur, with a series of technology start-up’s in the fields of digital signal processing, cyber security, data analytics, autonomous mobility, cryptocurrency, and generative artificial intelligence. He has a Bachelor of Arts and PhD from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University.

BASIS Independent Schools Means Business Competition

by

Congratulations to “Rainbow,” our student team from BASIS Independent Fremont, on winning the inaugural “BINS Means Business” competition. This is a startup pitch contest that any high school student or student team from each of our BASIS Independent Schools (BINS) can enter. The contestants competed locally at each of their schools, presenting a business idea following the Y Combinator pitch deck format. Then the school winners advanced to the finals, which were held on February 25th over Zoom. The five finalists split $10,000, with $5,000 and $2,000 awarded to the winner and runner-up, to allocate to a charity of their choice.

Angela Z. and Lauren W., both students in BASIS Independent Fremont’s Class of 2026, presented their innovative idea for an environmentally friendly and biodegradable smart umbrella – the Parapluie. All of the judges were impressed by the sophistication of their presentation as well as the great potential of their product. “I’m ready to order mine right away,” commented one judge!

“We could not have done it without the help of Mr. Ong, our instructors, and our peers, who have supported us and guided us throughout this entire journey,” said Angela and Lauren. “It’s been a great pleasure to have worked with everyone along the way, and we’re honestly a bit sad that it’s over! Those couple of sleepless nights and that intense feeling of stressing out before each round will only pass down as precious memories. So, thank you, everyone, for supporting us so that we could see a rainbow at the end of this memorable road!”

Mr. Ong, Economics and Business Subject Expert Teacher at BASIS Independent Fremont expressed his pride and congratulations.

“Heartiest congratulations to Angela and Lauren, co-founders of the Rainbow Company, for their outstanding performance. It was a pleasure to work with them on this project. This inaugural business competition at BASIS Independent Schools is a great initiative to strengthen the BASIS Curriculum in business and finance, and, as a DECA advisor, I look forward to continuing to nurture our students’ business drive and lay the foundation for their future success in college and beyond.”

Second place was awarded to Scarlett S. in BASIS Independent Manhattan’s class of 2024 with her company Gard-Eco, a home delivery service for home gardens in New York City.




Scarlett S., Class of 2024

“I loved stepping out of my comfort zone by participating in this competition, and I am so grateful for this amazing learning experience,” said Scarlett.

Student teams competing in the final all received prizes of $1,000, with the winning team receiving $5,000 and the second place team $2,000. The money is donated to a charity or cause of choice.

Rainbow has decided to donate their prize money to the charity Doctors Without Borders. GardEco has selected the organization Choose Creativity.

Congratulations are also in order to our three school finalists across the network:

  • Brooklyn – Alexa L. ’24 pitched a Sustainable Fashion app that would help facilitate used clothes donations and drive consumers to purchase from sustainable clothing retailers. She will donate her $1,000 prize to Little Essentials, a non-profit in Brooklyn helping underserviced families with gently used clothing donations for babies and children.
  • McLean – Melis O. and Shaun J. ’24 pitched their Sustainability Index Platform and Marketplace concept. They will donate their $1,000 prize to Turkish Philanthropy Funds.
  • Silicon Valley – Roshan A., Nathan W., and Max W. ’24 pitched a business idea called Chlarity. They donated their $1,000 prize to Grist, a nonprofit, independent media organization dedicated to telling stories of climate solutions and a just future.

BINS Means Business – Expert Judging Panel

Ms. Catherine Lu
Ms. Catherine Lu is a venture capital investor at Alumni Ventures, where she makes investments in startups at their earliest stages of development. Previously, she held product management roles at DataVisor and Palantir. Prior to that, she co-founded a retail analytics startup that was acquired by Palantir. She received a bachelor’s and master’s degree in computer science from Stanford University.

Mr. Amrit Saxena
Mr. Amrit Saxena is the Founder & CEO of SaxeCap, an AI transformation and private equity investment firm that conducts AI-levered buyouts and transforms enterprises with AI & automation technology. Additionally, he has successfully founded & sold two AI companies (Stella.ai and Fancy That) and is an active angel investor in data, AI, web3, and enterprise software companies in Silicon Valley, investing in 200+ early-stage technology companies (including several unicorns and companies that have gone public), private businesses, and PE/VC funds.

Prior to SaxeCap, Amrit founded and scaled Stella, a talent-sourcing AI company, to over 150 large enterprise clients (including 10% of the Fortune 500), leading technology (data science, product, engineering, etc.) and operations (pre-sales, client integrations, etc.). Stella was sold to Cornell Capital and Trilantic Capital Partners in a $1B+ private equity transaction in 2021. Additionally, Amrit founded, scaled, and sold Fancy That, a retail AI company, to Palantir (NYSE: PLTR) in 2015. Between his two AI startups, Amrit has experience buying a company, selling two companies, and scaling teams from zero to 50+ people. Amrit previously worked at Bain & Company, Groupon, AmEx, and e2e Analytics and taught and researched AI at Stanford University & MIT.

He received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science with a concentration in Artificial Intelligence and M.S. in Management Science & Engineering with a concentration in Operations Research, both from Stanford University with Distinction. Additionally, he has garnered numerous accolades, including being awarded sevenU.S. patents (relating to AI and optimization), a three-time finalist in the United States of America Mathematical Olympiad (USAMO), winner of the American Mathematics Competition (AMC), finalist in the United States Physics Olympiad (USAPhO), Congressional Award Gold Medalist, Research Science Institute (RSI) Scholar, American Regions Math League (ARML) winner, and was selected for the President’s Award for Academic Excellence and the Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honors Society while at Stanford.

Mr. James Shin
Mr. James Shinn is a general manager and entrepreneur with a series of technology start-ups in the fields of digital signal processing, cyber security, data analytics, autonomous mobility, cryptocurrency, and generative artificial intelligence. He has a Bachelor of Arts and Ph.D. from Princeton University and an MBA from Harvard University.

BASIS Means Business: Wildcat Edition

by

Upper School students were invited to participate in a new initiative across all BASIS Independent Schools introduced earlier this year.

BASIS Means Business encourages our students to create and innovate as they develop an entrepreneurial business idea and present it in a Shark Tank-style competition.

One finalist from each network school will compete in the finals on Saturday, Feb. 25 (held via Zoom) and the winner will receive $10,000 toward their charity of choice.

On Wednesday, Feb. 15, Pierce B. (’24) and Scarlett S. (’24) presented their ideas to the Upper School student body and our three judges.

The panel of judges included Kirk Murphy (Intro to Business elective teacher), Paul Kim (Wildcat parent and businessman), and Ms. Ermakova (Subject Expert Teacher, Math & Economics).

The presentations were on:

Biowrap – an eco-conscious replacement for plastic wrap (Pierce)

GardEco – Gardens for the urban home (Scarlett)

Both students showed impressive composure and professionalism. As far as the judges were concerned, high marks for both students were given regarding their public speaking. During the Q&A portion, the judges didn’t hold back from asking critical and pointed questions not to be too harsh but because they saw the potential in the students and their ideas. For example, they challenged the students about R&D, the cost of having a zero-carbon facility, and how to monetize online content behind a paywall.

The benefit of this project extended beyond the participants to the audience of high school students. The presenters demonstrated to their peers what it means to lead and set the tone for future competitions. It is clear that while marketing strategies and overall business acumen will always grab everyone’s attention, the foundation of success relies on the manner in which you present yourself and your ideas.

…and the Wildcat advancing to the BASIS Means Business finals is:

Scarlett S., Class of ’24

Now, the judges agreed that Scarlett has what it takes to go against her competitors from BASIS Independent Brooklyn, McLean, Fremont, Silicon Valley, and Bellevue and bring home the big prize. She has access to all of the resources and support offered by the BASIS Independent Manhattan community to prepare her for success. We look forward to the finals this month, but even more, we are eager to watch this program grow over the years to come.