[An image relating to business. Photo Credit to Pixabay]

On Thursday, April 24th 2025, the California 2025 FBLA state leadership conference began in Anaheim, California.

With the theme “Dare to Lead,” the conference emphasized leadership skills and their application in students’ personal development and their ability to influence others. 

More than 2,000 students from approximately 91 schools across California gathered at the Hilton hotel and Anaheim convention center for this major event.

Young people interested in business careers demonstrated their skills through various competitions, including speaking presentations, written tests, and role-playing events.

All the competitions took place at different times of the day throughout Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, concluding with an awards of excellence program ceremony on Saturday night. 

Among the chapters receiving awards, Homestead High School from the Bay Section won the sweepstakes award.

As one of the biggest and most notable conferences for high school students, the event offered a wide variety of activities, including seminars and workshops focused on business education.

Business professionals, mentors, sponsors, and guest speakers converged in Anaheim to share their experiences and encourage this year’s competitors.

Emmy-Award winning producer, director, and writer, Bernie Su, an FBLA alumnus, addressed the students, sharing insights about reaching for their goals based on his career journey.

The conference also featured social activities where members from different chapters could participate in an end-of-conference gathering, enjoying games, music, and various foods while networking with other students who share similar interests.

Six different sections competed in this year’s event: the Bay Section, Central Section, Gold Coast Section, Inland Section, Northern Section, and Southern Section. 

Throughout the conference, the newly elected members of the section and state chapter’s executive boards were also announced, following their campaign speeches, promotional efforts, and voting elections.

The national FBLA leadership conference is planned to take place in late June, representing the next step for qualifying students.