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Local student entrepreneurs "pitch" their ideas to local education and business leaders
The four entrepreneurs, part of the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!), after months of hard work, presented their business ideas – ala “Shark Tank” style during a business-like competition Thursday night at the West Hills College Lemoore Conference Center.
The winner of Thursday’s program was junior Saylor Lopez, who gave the judges a first-hand look at her business, something she developed called "Loud Mouth Karaoke." Lopez, thanks to her showing on Thursday night, will join the chamber’s Brittany Reese as they travel to Rochester, New York on May 4-5 for the annual Saunders Foundation Competition pitting Lopez against about a 100 or so other would-be billionaires as they compete for scholarships.
A look at YEA!
A panel of four judges, comprised of local education and business leaders, listened Thursday night and gave all the participants some big thumbs up – and a small wad of cash as well. The judges were Jamie and John Tulak, owners of Studio 12 Homes in Lemoore, Dr. Kristin Clark, president of West Hills College Lemoore, and Thomas Curtis, Kings County Board of Realtors.
The YEA! Is a year-long program offering would-be entrepreneurs valuable lessons on how to get a business started and then turn it into a successful money-making operation. Throughout the classes they take, the students, in this case four Middle College High School kids: Stephen Gong, Saylor Lopez, Kevin Gong, and Breanna Monsivaiz, took part in the second-year the chamber has offered the program.
The Young Entrepreneurs! was founded in 2004 by the University of Rochester, with support from the Kaufman Foundation. Thousands of students, throughout the United States, have participated in the annual program. The idea is for students to develop their business skills, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their ideas to a panel of investors for startup funds and then launch one of their own full-formed companies.
Lopez is optimistic about the next round of competition in Rochester where she’ll compete against a plethora of other would be entrepreneurs. “I’m really looking forward to it,” said the inventor of “Loudmouth Karaoke,” a unique perspective on amateur singing. She intends to take her business desires to college. “I want to go to a four-year college after community college – and earn my degree in business,” she said.
Local businessman and realtor Rick Rossiter (Rossiter Realty Group), has spent the last year lending a hand to the would-be business persons, acting as a mentor, a judge, and an instructor. “Their skills were already honed when I got there,” he said. “The kids were so cooperative and hard-working, and they just all had an amazing range of personalities. I saw their presentations 15 or 20 times (and tonight) was head and shoulders the best of any of them.”
He said that programs like YEA! are important for young people, particularly for those expecting to enter the business world. “The business skills they learn here will carry them a long way.”
He plans to keep involved. “I’d love to do it again. I was on the investor panel of judges last year, but this year was more fun.”
Reese, the program coordinator for the Lemoore Chamber of Commerce, where she is also the membership coordinator, is the one who brings students and business leaders together. “I oversee all the operations and I enlist the help of the instructors, business mentors, and coordinate all of our field trips as well as work on getting sponsorships.”
Has it been hard finding help? “With our second year going in, my approach has been a little different this year. I’ve received great feedback and it hasn’t been very had at all this year.”
