San Leandro High School Student Wins BEASTMODE-A-Business Competition

Marshawn Lynch with winners Mathew Galvez, on the left, and Simone Hufana, on the right.

Marshwan Lynch and Shopify launched the first ever “BEASTMODE-A-Business” competition, featuring 30 high school students from the Bay Area, to build their brand and create their own online eCommerce stores on Shopify in just three days. Students participated in workshops teaching them how to start their own online store and heard from special guest speakers on how to develop effective messaging. The competition’s key focus was to teach students that with the right tools and mindset anyone can become an entrepreneur and was featured in Bold Commerce Blog.

Each student was required to pitch their business idea in front of family, friends, and a panel of judges which included staff and merchants from Shopify, Marshawn Lynch, and Josh Johnson, quarterback for the New York Giants. One of the two winners was Simone Hufana, 17 from San Leandro High School, winning Shopify Basic for three years, an opportunity to have her pop-up store hosted by Marshawn’s brand Beast Mode Apparel in Oakland, desk space at Hingeto, AdWords and Facebook Dynamic Ads credits, design credits with a Shopify Plus expert agency, as well as ongoing product design and full marketing setup support.

City of San Leandro congratulates Simone for her hard work and accomplishment!