ANNUAL JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT BUSINESS HALL OF FAME SCHEDULED FOR MARCH 24, 2026

Event Honors Leaders Who Impact Future Professionals and Entrepreneurs

FORT MYERS, Fla. – Dec. 8, 2025 –  Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida announces Tuesday, March 24, 2026, as the date for the annual Business Hall of Fame celebration. This prestigious event, held at Naples Grande Beach Resort, honors influential and visionary leaders and organizations that have significantly impacted the educational landscape for local youth in Southwest Florida, particularly in areas such as entrepreneurship, work readiness, and financial literacy.

In addition to recognizing the support of community leaders, the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida Business Hall of Fame also serves as a fundraiser for the organization, preparing youth with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed in their future careers and life. Funds received during this event stay local and support the following learning experiences for students:

• Comprehensive K-12 educational programs to foster financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness among local students
• Programs that provide skills and knowledge for future economic success
• Career-oriented events that welcome students to learn about multiple industries and engage in hands-on learning to determine a future path
• Programs that enhance critical thinking and life skills

Each year, the Hall of Fame Committee, led this year by Vicki Tracy as Chair, selects influential leaders from Lee and Collier counties who support the mission and vision of assisting today’s youth in becoming the leaders of tomorrow. These philanthropic changemakers join an esteemed group of more than 100 business leaders in Southwest Florida who have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame since its founding in 1988. In 2025, Junior Achievement honored Laureates Timothy Cartwright, Partner and Co-Founder at Fifth Avenue Family Office; William Price, Jr., Board Chairman, and Matthew Price, Chief Executive Officer, both with Seagate Development Group; and Aysegul Timur, Ph.D., President of Florida Gulf Coast University, into the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida Business Hall of Fame.

Business Hall of Fame sponsors help Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida make a difference in the lives of local students and are recognized in many ways before, during, and after the event. Current sponsors for the event include Entech, Florida Gulf Coast University, MHK Architecture, Pushing the Envelope, and Seacoast Bank. Sponsorship opportunities and additional event information are available at https://southwestflorida.ja.org/events/save-the-date-for-the-2026-ja-business-hall-of-fame. Inquiries can also be made by calling (239) 225-2590 or emailing [email protected].

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to preparing young people to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make informed academic and financial decisions. JA programs are delivered by business and community volunteers and provide hands-on experiences that teach students from kindergarten through high school critical skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. JA is also expanding its reach to pre-K learners and young adults ages 18 to 25 to ensure children gain a strong foundation and emerging adults are equipped for independent success.

Today, JA reaches more than 4.4 million students annually in 102 U.S. markets, contributing to a global network that serves 12.5 million students in over 100 countries. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

Locally, during the 2024–2025 school year, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with hundreds of classroom volunteers to deliver 233,402 hours of instruction to 20,592 students across Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties. To learn more, visit www.JASWFL.org, call (239) 225-2590, or email [email protected].

In addition to recognizing the support of community leaders, the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida Business Hall of Fame also serves as a fundraiser for the organization, preparing youth with the knowledge and resources they need to succeed in their future careers and life. Funds received during this event stay local and support the following learning experiences for students:

• Comprehensive K-12 educational programs to foster financial literacy, entrepreneurship, and workforce readiness among local students
• Programs that provide skills and knowledge for future economic success
• Career-oriented events that welcome students to learn about multiple industries and engage in hands-on learning to determine a future path
• Programs that enhance critical thinking and life skills

Each year, the Hall of Fame Committee, led this year by Vicki Tracy as Chair, selects influential leaders from Lee and Collier counties who support the mission and vision of assisting today’s youth in becoming the leaders of tomorrow. These philanthropic changemakers join an esteemed group of more than 100 business leaders in Southwest Florida who have been inducted into the Business Hall of Fame since its founding in 1988. In 2025, Junior Achievement honored Laureates Timothy Cartwright, Partner and Co-Founder at Fifth Avenue Family Office; William Price, Jr., Board Chairman, and Matthew Price, Chief Executive Officer, both with Seagate Development Group; and Aysegul Timur, Ph.D., President of Florida Gulf Coast University, into the Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida Business Hall of Fame.

Business Hall of Fame sponsors help Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida make a difference in the lives of local students and are recognized in many ways before, during, and after the event. Current sponsors for the event include Entech, Florida Gulf Coast University, MHK Architecture, Pushing the Envelope, and Seacoast Bank. Sponsorship opportunities and additional event information are available at https://southwestflorida.ja.org/events/save-the-date-for-the-2026-ja-business-hall-of-fame. Inquiries can also be made by calling (239) 225-2590 or emailing [email protected].

About Junior Achievement

Junior Achievement (JA) is the world’s largest organization dedicated to preparing young people to own their economic success, plan for their future, and make informed academic and financial decisions. JA programs are delivered by business and community volunteers and provide hands-on experiences that teach students from kindergarten through high school critical skills in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship. JA is also expanding its reach to pre-K learners and young adults ages 18 to 25 to ensure children gain a strong foundation and emerging adults are equipped for independent success.

Today, JA reaches more than 4.4 million students annually in 102 U.S. markets, contributing to a global network that serves 12.5 million students in over 100 countries. Junior Achievement USA is a member of JA Worldwide. For more information, visit www.ja.org.

Locally, during the 2024–2025 school year, Junior Achievement of Southwest Florida partnered with hundreds of classroom volunteers to deliver 233,402 hours of instruction to 20,592 students across Collier, Lee, and Charlotte counties. To learn more, visit www.JASWFL.org, call (239) 225-2590, or email [email protected].