The Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a groundbreaking program that takes students through the process of starting and running real businesses over the course of a full academic year. YEA! students, as a class, visit area businesses, meet successful entrepreneurs, meet with professionals (attorneys, accountants, bankers, graphic designers, web developers, insurance providers, etc.), develop a business or social movement idea and plan, and work with mentors.
Students then pitch their ideas “live” to a panel of investors made up of local business and community leaders with real dollars at stake to obtain funding—think Shark Tank meets The Apprentice and American Idol--, and take the steps necessary to, and then actually do, launch their venture. Community support strengthens the program, and the academy strengthens the community.
Students participating in the YEA! program learn important life lessons and at the same time gain an appreciation that the skills they are learning in school have significant value in “real world” applications. YEA! students gain self-esteem, confidence and practical experience in working through novel situations and challenges.
By the end of the class, students own and operate fully functioning businesses. Students learn to make a job--not just take a job!
YEA!’s direct mission is to help students embrace their passion, energy, creativity and talents, and view entrepreneurship as synonymous with success and freedom. The magic is that YEA! teaches kids to believe in themselves, to think big, and to understand that they can achieve anything they set their minds to. In the process, YEA! students learn as much about leadership and self-empowerment as they do about planning, budgeting, and production. YEA! students discover in themselves confidence, optimism, and capabilities they never knew they had. These remarkable and life-changing results are why you want to be involved in this amazing program!
Please see below how you can impact our student’s lives!
Business Mentors:
- Guide students as the finalize their business plans
- Enhance great business ideas with innovative thinking
- Coach students to a perfect pitch presentation
- Attend 6 classes for 90 minutes each
Business mentors make a huge impact in the lives of budding entrepreneurs by providing real world guidance and encouragement as students evaluate risks and opportunities in the business world.
Business mentor training, tools, and ongoing support provided by YEA! Instructors and Program Manager.
Guest speaker opportunities are listed below, guest speakers have a significant, and long lasting impact on the lives of budding entrepreneurs helping them “connect the dots” between local businesses and those who help them reach success
Attorney Guest Speaker: 1/12/2017
- Attends a YEA! class for 45-60 minutes delivering an exciting presentation
- Teaches students about legal business structures, intellectual property, patents and trademarks
- Explain how the law and court systems interact with small business
Insurance Guest Speaker: 1/26/2017
- Attends a YEA! class for 45–60 minutes, delivering an exciting presentation
- Evaluates and teaches about specific business insurance needs of the various student enterprises
- Explains the risks different businesses face, how insurance
- works, and how small businesses benefit from the insurance
E-Commerce Guest speaker: 2/2/2017
- Attends a YEA! class for 45–60 minutes, delivering an exciting presentation
- Explain opportunities for conducting business online
- Teach about the pros and cons of e-commerce and why it’s so important to small businesses in today’s economy
Niche Marketing Guest Speaker: 2/16/2017
- Attends a YEA! class for 45–60 minutes, delivering an exciting presentation
- Help students understand what a niche market is
- Explain the pros and cons of operating within a niche market through your own experiences and work.
If you are interested in participating in the program please contact the YEA! Lemoore Program Manager, Brittany Reece: 559-924-6401 or staff@lemoorechamber.org