i.Invest Louisiana Youth Grant Recipient – Blake Stanfill: Putting Youth Connection Back on the Court

At just 16 years old, Blake Stanfill, a 11th-grade student at St. Augustine High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, is turning his passion for basketball into an innovative technology venture designed to bring young people together. As a recipient of the i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant, Stanfill is developing Check Ball, a youth connection app that uses basketball to create community, increase access to recreational opportunities, and get young people off the sidelines and onto the court.

Stanfill’s inspiration for Check Ball comes from more than 11 years of playing basketball and growing up around entrepreneurship. With his father actively involved in business, he developed an early interest in how ideas can become impactful ventures. But it was his experiences playing pickup basketball throughout New Orleans that revealed a problem he believed technology could solve.

Stanfill pitching during the Tulane Young Entrepreneurs Academy Pitch event.

“I would show up to courts that were either empty or overcrowded, making it difficult to get a consistent game going,” Stanfill explains. Even when players connected on the court, there was often no way to stay connected afterward. Great games ended without exchanging contact information or making plans for the next run.

Check Ball is designed to change that. The app will allow young basketball players to see which courts are open, how many players are currently there, and whether a game is forming. An AI-driven matchmaking system will connect players based on location, skill level, preferences, and the number of participants they are seeking. User profiles will also track playing history, positions, and availability to improve future matches.

Beyond pickup basketball, Check Ball will connect users with local gyms, leagues, and organized events, creating a pathway from recreational play to structured competition. Verified profiles and a community rating system will further promote safety, accountability, and trust—particularly for young people who may be hesitant to visit an unfamiliar court alone.

Stanfill plans to launch Check Ball in New Orleans, where basketball culture is deeply rooted, before expanding to additional cities and eventually other sports. The business will use a freemium model, with premium subscriptions and promotional opportunities for businesses and organizations.

The i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant is not Stanfill’s first entrepreneurial milestone. He previously participated in the Tulane Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a 30-week entrepreneurship program that culminated in a pitch competition, where Check Ball received $1,250 in funding to support development of the concept.

Through the i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant, Stanfill will receive additional funding and mentorship to help move Check Ball from concept toward implementation.

For Stanfill, however, Check Ball is about more than basketball.

“By combining technology, community, and culture, Check Ball is not just an app—it is a movement to get young people off the sidelines and back on the court.”

To learn more, contact Michelle Jackson at mjackson@prsolutionsllc.org.

Meet the 2026 i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant Recipients: How ParTee Is Driving Innovation in New Orleans

ParTee founders, Emy Foster and Charlie Kehlenbach, standing with Jalin Carter, former program director for Tulane’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy.

Some of the best businesses are born from personal experience. For Emy Foster and Charlie Kehlenbach, a challenge they faced as members of their high school golf team became the inspiration for ParTee—an innovative mobile entertainment business that earned them recognition as 2026 i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant recipients.  

Emy and Charlie are 17-year-old juniors at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana, graduates of the Tulane Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) and the founders of ParTee, a mobile golf simulator business that brings a premium golf experience directly to customers. Whether it's a backyard party, corporate event, wedding, festival, or community gathering, ParTee transforms virtually any location into an interactive golf experience. Customers simply book online, and the team handles delivery, setup, and operation, allowing hosts to focus on enjoying their event.

The inspiration for ParTee came from the students' own experiences on their high school golf team. As members of an underfunded program, they often struggled with transportation to practices and limited access to training opportunities. Rather than viewing these challenges as obstacles, they saw an opportunity to create a solution. What began as an idea to make golf more accessible quickly evolved into a scalable business serving New Orleans' growing market of golf enthusiasts, professionals, and organizations seeking unique event entertainment.

Beyond its business potential, ParTee demonstrates a strong commitment to community impact. The founders recognized that many events lack engaging activities that encourage guests to interact with one another. Their mobile golf simulator creates memorable experiences by bringing people together through friendly competition, teamwork, and conversation. It is an excellent example of how entrepreneurship can generate both economic opportunity and social connection.

Charlie setting up a ParTee simulator.

The i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant supports aspiring entrepreneurs across Louisiana, ages 13 to 19, who have developed a market-ready product or service. Co-sponsored by PR Solutions LLC, the grant provides funding, recognition, and mentorship to help young innovators transform promising ideas into successful businesses.

“We are excited to support young innovators like Emy and Charlie, who took a game they love and turned it into a viable business,” said Michelle Jackson, Founder and Executive Director of i.Invest. “They are a wonderful example of the creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit that New Orleans youth have to offer.”

Since its inception, the broader i.Invest initiative has provided entrepreneurship training to more than 50 youth entrepreneurship teams and awarded more than $50,000 in cash and in-kind prizes to help launch the next generation of Louisiana business leaders.

Congratulations to Emy Foster and Charlie Kehlenbach on being named 2026 i.Invest Louisiana Young Entrepreneurs Grant Recipients. Their entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking, and commitment to solving real-world challenges represent the very best of Louisiana's emerging business leaders. We look forward to watching ParTee continue to grow and inspire other young entrepreneurs to turn their ideas into impact.

To learn more about their services visit, https://rentpartee.com/.

From Classroom to Company—How New Orleans Teen Founders Hayden Le and Grace Nguyen Are Redefining Outdoor Skincare with EcoAqua

Hayden Le and Grace Nguyen, 18-year-old co-founders of EcoAqua.

Meet the 2025-26 i.Invest Louisiana Youth Entrepreneur Grant recipients, Hayden Le and Grace Nguyen, the 18-year-old co-founders of EcoAqua and seniors at Benjamin Franklin High School in New Orleans, Louisiana. As driven 12th-grade student entrepreneurs, Hayden and Grace are already making waves with an innovative, eco-conscious skincare solution designed specifically for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts. Their work was recognized through the i.Invest Competition, developed in partnership with the LifeSkills Foundation, a New Orleans–based nonprofit led by Executive Director Michelle Jackson. Since its founding in 2015, LifeSkills has provided funding, mentorship, and resources to promising youth entrepreneurs nationwide—helping young leaders turn real-world problems into impactful businesses. EcoAqua exemplifies what happens when youth innovation meets purpose-driven entrepreneurship.

Founder Q&A: How EcoAqua Is Changing Outdoor Skincare for Athletes and Adventurers

Q: What is EcoAqua, and what problem does it solve?

EcoAqua is a 3-in-1 moisturizing sunscreen and mosquito repellent cream created to simplify outdoor skincare while prioritizing skin health and environmental responsibility. Designed for athletes and outdoor enthusiasts who are constantly on the move, EcoAqua combines SPF 50 sun protection, long-lasting mosquito repellency, and deep hydration in one easy-to-use product.

After surveying more than 150 student-athletes, the founders discovered a widespread issue: three out of five athletes regularly experience swelling, blisters, and intense itching from mosquito bites, as well as frequent sunburn. Existing solutions often require layering sunscreen and bug spray—products that don’t mix well and often leave skin feeling dry, sticky, irritated, or heavy. EcoAqua eliminates this problem by offering a single, effective formula that protects against both sun and insects while keeping skin moisturized and comfortable.

Q: Who inspired the creation of EcoAqua?

EcoAqua was inspired by personal experience. During a hot summer day in PE class, co-founder Hayden noticed that sunburns and mosquito bites discouraged students from fully participating in outdoor activities like kickball and basketball. Co-founder Grace, a competitive swimmer and avid fisher, faced constant exposure to mosquitoes and gnats, often waking up with swelling, bruises, and intense itching that interfered with her athletic performance and love for the outdoors.

Bonding over these shared frustrations, the founders realized this was not an isolated problem. As daughters of Vietnamese immigrants who shared stories of growing up in the harsh sun and with relentless mosquitoes, Hayden and Grace felt compelled to create a better solution—one that protected skin without sacrificing comfort or convenience.

Q: What makes EcoAqua unique?

EcoAqua stands apart through its clean, all-natural, and skin-friendly formulation. The product contains no harmful chemicals such as DEET or parabens. Instead, it uses citrus oils and picaridin for mosquito repellency, titanium dioxide for sun protection, and aloe vera with beeswax for hydration.

The non-greasy, fast-absorbing formula leaves no white cast and is suitable for all skin types, including sensitive skin. EcoAqua provides up to 90 minutes of UV protection (with reapplication encouraged every 2 hours) and up to 8 hours of mosquito-repellency, making it ideal for sports, travel, outdoor adventures, and everyday use.

Q: What social impact does EcoAqua aim to make?

EcoAqua demonstrates that sustainability and personal care can coexist. By combining sunscreen, bug repellent, and moisturizer into one product, EcoAqua helps reduce overconsumption and packaging waste. Beyond the product itself, the founders are committed to educating athletes and outdoor enthusiasts about proactive skin care habits that protect both long-term health and the environment.

EcoAqua is more than skincare—it’s protection, purpose, and peace of mind for every outdoor adventure.

Q: What are the next phases of the business development process, and what resources do you need to grow?

Participation in the Tulane YEA! program has been instrumental in advancing EcoAqua’s growth by providing structured mentorship, pitch coaching, and access to competitive entrepreneurial opportunities–including presenting its business concept at NOLA Entrepreneur Week 2025. Tulane YEA! also supported early customer discovery and acquisition efforts, helping translate EcoAqua’s science-backed prototype into a market-ready consumer product.

As a recipient of the i.Invest Louisiana Youth Entrepreneur Grant, EcoAqua received $500 to support business growth and mentorship from the i.Invest team, led by Jackson. The grant will fund hands-on STEM and entrepreneurship activities for EcoAqua affiliates, focusing on cosmetic chemistry product testing and business development. To learn how you can help bring their business idea to market, contact Michelle Jackson at mjackson@prsolutionsllc.org.