The Young Entrepreneurs Academy program launched nationally in 2004 but has already helped more than 4,000 high school'ers learn about America's unique free enterprise system - as well as understand the significant pre-planning necessary to create a successful small business.
The legend of starting a hugely successful business in your parent's basement without the necessary business planning is exactly that - an urban legend that has no basis in reality. Even those supposed overnight success stories like Steve Jobs and Mark Zuckerberg took years of planning and agonizing setbacks before the company emerged from the shadows and became the success it is today.
The YEA program can't eliminate the many challenges of successful entrepreneurship, but by emersion in a hands-on program from which you must create a real business - these young entrepreneurs will learn all facets of business ownership - the legal structure decision, the marketing challenges, the launch, obtaining the funding, creating a solid business plan, and actually producing - and selling - a product of service.
In today's program, you will meet two amazing students who are graduates of the current school year's program and who also won the top prize for business creation from their respective Chambers of Commerce. Both of these young entrepreneurs agreed to do their award winning "shark tank pitch" as an opener to the program. Tune in and listen
FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE
Kate Kollar-Dye
Kate Kollar-Dye is a rising Junior at the Royal Palm High School and was a part of the Central Palm Beach Chamber of Commerce YEA program. As with all successful entrepreneurs, Kate found a need and filled it with her Easy IV Tee. She has several family members with cancer who need continuing rounds of chemotherapy - often for 24 hours continuously. Finding clothing that can fit with the IV plug can be challenging and Kate decided to find the answer.
Palm Beach SCORE
Palm Beach SCORE is a non-profit who's mission is helping local small businesses, startups and entrepreneurs grow and thrive by offering mentoring, workshops, business consulting and counseling services, networking opportunities, events and partnerships within the Palm Beach / South Florida business corridor.
SCORE-ing Your Business' host Penny Pompei serves as Chapter Chair for our local Palm Beach SCORE Chapter #224, located in beautiful downtown West Palm Beach.