In the ever-changing world of work, NFTE helped this young entrepreneur prepare for the tech field.
- When he was a sophomore in high school, Arti designed a case to wirelessly charge his iPhone — a year before Apple introduced the feature.
- That innovation fueled his first business and led to him being honored with an EY Youth Entrepreneur of the Year scholarship in 2018.
- The entrepreneurial mindset helps him continue to innovate in a fast-changing tech world.
- While attending college, he continued doing the occasional pitch competition and maintained a successful wireless accessories business as well as an IT consulting business.
- In 2023, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from George Mason University.
- He transitioned to a career in cybersecurity and compliance.
“ Before taking NFTE, I had no idea about having my own business. After taking it, I doubled down and was inspired. I gained the crucial skills and confidence and now know how to make my ideas viable.”
—Arti Shala
Arti took his first NFTE class as a sophomore in high school. The business he created then was Shalatech, a company that designed, manufactured and sold wireless charging cases for the iPhone 7—a year before Apple introduced wireless charging.
Perhaps not surprisingly, Arti won the NFTE Washington Metro Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge that spring and qualified to advance to the quarterfinals of the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge in the fall. Although he didn’t win at nationals, he was spotted by an EY judge at the competition who would later recommend him for an EY Youth Entrepreneur of the Year scholarship. He also had the highest product sales at the NFTE business showcase held after the competition.
When the iPhone 8 came out with wireless charging capability, Arti was not daunted. He simply developed a new product, demonstrating the kind of flexibility and adaptability that an entrepreneur needs. He had a wireless power base manufactured in China. However, Arti’s new product was such a success on his Shopify outlet, that his manufacturers copied the product. Nevertheless, just as NFTE teaches, Arti regrouped and came up with other ways to differentiate himself from the competition.
He stopped manufacturing in China, rebranded his wireless accessories company from Shalatech to Amp Chargers, and created consumer products that were thin, lightweight, and charged faster than most of the competition. His new mission, which was a significant differentiator, was “to create new portable chargers that enhance individual and business productivity while ensuring sustainable packaging (zero plastic), all manufactured from recycled materials.”
Arti launched a second business, an IT consulting practice with a small team of tech experts, which he built while studying at George Mason University. To fund the cost of college, Arti balanced his studies with running his consulting business, Amp Chargers, and completing R&D on two wireless products. He put a percentage of revenue into a fund for underserved children in Kosovo and Albania, which is where Arti was born.
In 2023, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from George Mason University and transitioned to a career in cybersecurity and compliance. Arti says that NFTE undeniably changed the trajectory of his life and prepared him for a fast-changing future.
Mindset Ignited
News — March 29, 2024
