Wisconsin Students Win JA Titan Business Challenge National Championship

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN – Wisconsinites have a special affinity for the legacy of a good sports team. While it may not be on par with the Packers, the Bucks, or the Brewers in its ability to sell out a venue, Junior Achievement has a solid digital sports legacy when it comes to the JA Titan Business Challenge. Three Wisconsin student teams from Shawano, Waunakee, and La Crosse competed in the virtual JA USA Titan Business Challenge on May 14, 2024.

The national JA Titan Business Challenge Championship was won by Luke Hammon and Ryan Bohmback from Wolf River Lutheran High School in Shawano, Wisconsin. Hammon and Bohmback competed against 34 other high school teams from across the United States in the digital competition to see which team could run the most profitable virtual company. They will travel to the 2024 JA National Student Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C., June 10th – 13th to accept their award in person and engage with innovation, business, and entrepreneurship experts, attend professional development seminars, and gain exposure to a national network of teen entrepreneurs. More information can be found at the event’s website at https://sites.google.com/ja.org/studentevents/nsls-faq

The half-day strategic tournament uses JA Titan, a business simulation program, which allows students to run a virtual technology company. The competition teaches students about the decisions needed to run a successful company and provides an opportunity to practice skills like critical thinking, strategic development, and teamwork. The success of each student team depends on their decisions in key business categories - production levels, marketing, pricing, research and development, capital improvements, and corporate social responsibility. The fast-paced national event consisted of three rounds of competition, each incrementally more difficult as student competitors had to factor in recessions and other industry challenges into their business strategies.

“The JA Titan Business Challenge and JA Titan curriculum were developed in Wisconsin and are used by Junior Achievement offices across the country,” said Julie Granger, Junior Achievement of Wisconsin President. “With student feedback, educator guidance, and corporate partners across Wisconsin like Acuity, Kwik Trip, Miller Electric, Landmark Credit Union and Johnson Financial, the legacy of Wisconsin’s place among the national winners of the JA Titan Business Challenge will hopefully continue for many years to come.”

This is the second time in two years that a team of Wisconsin students took first place in the JA USA national competition. In 2022, the national winners came from a team of high school students from Appleton North High School and Beloit Memorial High School.

Two other Wisconsin student teams finished in the top 8 spots. Mason Lavold and Sebastian Rasmussen from Waunakee High School in Waunakee, WI took second place in the national competition, only 3 points behind the champions from Shawano. The team of Carson Nelson, Gavin Wappler, and Zeke Sanders finished in 8th place.

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