Two local students from the Macon Young Entrepreneurs Academy program, Dabney and William Peters, are pitching their business idea at the YEA! National Saunders Scholars Competition, which takes place throughout the day, at New York’s Rochester Institute of Technology.

The young entrepreneurs, who developed a trading card company named Heroes of the Fray, were selected to represent Macon at the competition after winning the first annual YEA! Macon Investor Panel. During that event, a group of local business leaders invested $12,000 in 16 different businesses, created by the local middle and high school students selected to participate in YEA! Macon.

Elijah Rutland, who creates custom-painted apparel and sneakers with his company Fix My Sole, and Macy Fuller, who makes books and dolls that celebrate diversity through her String Things business, were also selected as Investor Panel runners up.

The Saunders Scholars Competition brings together over 100 young entrepreneurs, ages 11 through 18, from across the country, who have won their local YEA! Investor Panel events, to pitch their business ideas. The event is named for and made possible by legendary entrepreneur E. Philip Saunders, with respected business and community leaders judging the presentations.

The participants are competing for business startup prizes, college scholarships ranging from $25,000 to $50,000, as well as a trip to America’s Small Business Summit in Washington, D.C.