HELLO, I'M
Ava Weissman.
Entrepreneur | Advocate |Changemaker
Ava Weissman
I’m a high school senior passionate about business, community service and public policy.
(215) 866-7785
About
MY BACKGROUND
I’m a rising senior at American Heritage Schools in Plantation, Florida. I’m a passionate leader in business, public service, and global affairs.
As Founder and President of Pickleball 4 A Purpose, I’ve raised over $30,000 for various senior and youth organizations, launched 14 chapters across 11 states, and mobilized over 200 teen volunteers to foster intergenerational connections. For this work, I’ve received the 2025 Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Medal.
I’m a top-ranked DECA competitor, placing 4th internationally in 2025 and earning multiple state awards. I’m also a nationally recognized Model UN delegate, receiving Best Delegate honors at Georgetown, William and Mary, and the National High School MUN in NYC. My advocacy work includes serving as Youth Director of Fundraising for March For Our Lives Parkland, raising $20,000 and gaining national media attention.
Professionally, I’ve interned with Roundview Capital, the Connecticut Department of Economic Development, and Florida International University’s Maurice A. Ferre Institute, combining interests in economics, policy, and social innovation.
At school, I lead as President of DECA, Executive VP of Model UN, and Co-Founder of AVUS Connect’s chapter, among other leadership roles.
I’m committed to creating sustainable impact through business, civic leadership, and community engagement. I’m excited to carry my passions into college and develop them into professional skills for my future career.
Entrepreneur
My passion for business started in middle school when I launched my sneaker business and made 5k in profit during COVID. My entrepreneurial spirit began and I gained confidence from running a small business in a male-dominated arena. From that experience, I felt assured to start my non-profit after my sophomore year in high school. I am the founder and president of a non-profit called Pickleball 4 A Purpose https://www.pickleball4apurpose.com/about. Pickleball 4 A Purpose focuses on fostering meaningful connections between older adults and teenagers through the game of pickleball while raising money for various senior and youth organizations. In order to develop sustainability for my non-profit, I created a chapter playbook (insert it here).
Additionally, my Pickleball 4 A Purpose Business Growth plan was recognized by DECA ICDC 2025 as the 4th place award in the world (4th out of 250) (See Business Growth plan here)! Receiving recognition for my business on the DECA International finalist stage was a significant personal milestone. I’ve also gained valuable real-world work experience through my high school years such as at Roundview Capital, Happy Recap Productions etc. and Grouped, Inc. Alongside my internships, my involvement in DECA as Vice President and currently as President has played a key role in developing my leadership and business skills, and has provided clarity on my passion for the business field.
Advocate
My work with seniors has been very important to me over the past few years. Since middle school and continuing throughout high school, I have found meaningful fulfillment in volunteering at assisted living facilities, where I've developed a deep appreciation for supporting and connecting with older adults. The experience that sparked this interest occurred in middle school when I met a senior named Marilyn who didn’t have any family nearby. This really impacted me and my desire to visit her often. In my sophomore year of high school, I discovered through my research that one out of three seniors suffer loneliness which furthered my entrepreneurial drive to help seniors through Pickleball 4 A Purpose, AVUS Connect and volunteering.
With my leadership in AVUSConnect, I created and still lead the AVUSConnect chapter in high-school, with over 100 members. As the National Youth Advisor, I’ve collaborated with AVUSConnect to help secure over $100,000 in government grants for senior tablet access and regularly volunteer to teach technology skills at senior centers. It was an honor this past May, to receive the 2025 Presidential Volunteer Service Gold Medal Award from United HomeCare for dedicated service (over 500+ service hours) helping South Florida seniors and disabled adults stay connected. In August of 2025, I was selected to speak at the state conference of the Florida Council on Aging with an audience of 300+ members due to my charitable work with seniors in the state of Florida. Additionally, I have been selected as the first teenager to win the 2025 Florida Council of Aging Public Service Award in the state due to my efforts to improve the quality of life of older Floridians.
Changemaker
I am also deeply interested in public policy which was discovered through my involvement and success in Model UN over the past few years and advocating for seniors. As the current Executive VP for my school’s Model UN team, I’m a nationally recognized Model UN delegate, receiving Best Delegate honors at Georgetown, William and Mary, and the National High School MUN in NYC.
Currently, I’m advocating and co-created a senior legislation bill that lowers the teen volunteer age from 18 to 16 with Florida state representative Marie Woodson. The Bill goes to the Florida House in November 2025. I am also conducting research under Professor Agatha Caraballo on alternative philanthropy solutions for the institution to advocate for increased funding sources at The Maurice A. Ferre Institute for Civic Leadership at Florida International University. Additionally, I had the opportunity this past summer to assist the Commissioner of Connecticut Economic Development, Daniel O'Keefe, with an analysis of economic incentives programs including their reach and frequency.
Lastly, experiencing the MSD tragedy in my Parkland community inspired me at a young age to use my advocacy and business skills in support of March For Our Lives Parkland, helping to raise over $20,000 for the June 2022 march, which drew more than 2,000 participants. Together with my sister, I helped launch and led a non-profit called Heal Together https://www.helphealtogether.com/ which provides support to teenagers impacted by gun violence. I've found it incredibly rewarding to merge my passions for economics, policy, and social innovation.
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Created and presented a DECA Business Growth Plan at the DECA International Career Development Conference in April 2025. Awarded 4th in the WORLD out of 250 ICDC Qualifiers.
Created and presented the DECA Career Development Project in 2024. ICDC Qualifier.
Created and presented a stock pitch for publicly traded securities to Partners/Principals of Roundview Capital in the Summer of 2024.
Created a sponsorship packet to secure sponsorships for tournaments.
Created Presentation deck for DECA ICDC for the 4th place in the world award!
Top District winner and qualified for states with this DECA Professional Selling and Consulting Presentation in Dec. 2024. Decided to move forward with my Business Growth Plan since I could only select one event for states.
Created Chapter Playbook with all of the information to create different chapters around the world.
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