BUILD The Future 2025 Recap, Highlights & Photos What an unforgettable night! From the lively student-led Sales Bazaar to the inspiring Pitch Competition on the outdoor stage, to the heartfelt stories from alumni and honorees — BUILD the Future 2025 held on October 8, 2025 captured the heart of what we can accomplish when community and purpose come together. Thanks to your generosity and enthusiasm, we raised $420,000+ to empower students nationwide with the entrepreneurial skills, confidence, and opportunity to become the CEOs of their own lives. As Ayele Shakur said: “The best way to predict the future is to BUILD it.” There’s still time to help us reach our $500,000 goal while our $100,000 donation match is ongoing: http://build.org/btf. Highlights of The Night Student Sales Bazaar – The evening opened with a vibrant marketplace of student-run businesses, featuring everything from branded hats with custom logos to engraved wood-cut coasters — some even customized on the spot to customers’ color preferences. FamBiz CEO Simulation – The evening’s program launched with an interactive activity that brought to life the same curriculum our students use in classrooms every day. Guests answered questions as the CEO of a cookie company, making real-world business decisions just like our students. PawPerfect – The winning student pitch team opened by sharing not just their product — an innovative pet bed — but also the inspiration behind it, introducing the faces of their own pets on their slides and concluding with how the