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The 2019-20 YEA! students have wrapped up their first virtual Investor Panel. If you missed it, catch the video in THIS BLOG POST, as each student pitches their businesses and competes for funding. Congrats to our two winners!
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The Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Chamber of Commerce is hosting the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) for the fifth year. Our chamber is the first and only organization to host a YEA! program in North Dakota and one of few in the entire Midwest. In our program’s first few years, we’ve already seen several incredible young students launch real and successful businesses.
Check out these recent highlights!-
Chamber Announces 2020 YEA! Investor Panel Shark Tank Winners
- YEA! grad and CEO of Fetch & Flair, Ivy, on North Dakota Today
- Press release and photo album on the 2019 Investor Panel "Shark Tank"
- Ivy Mastrud on KVRR News
- KVRR interviews past program manager, Katie Ralston: Young Entrepreneurs Academy: Swimming With Sharks
- Joanna Lin on Prairie Public's Main Street (skip to the 9 minute mark!)
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Background on program
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) teaches high school students how to start and run their own REAL businesses. YEA! was developed at the University of Rochester in 2004 with the support of a grant from the Kauffman Foundation. The Chamber is excited to be introducing YEA! to the Fargo Moorhead West Fargo Community.
YEA! guides high school students through the process of starting and running a legitimate business or social movement over the course of a full academic year. As of 2014, YEA! has graduated over 2,000 students who have started more than 1,700 businesses and social movements, YEA! graduates started as students, and left the program as CEOs of their own companies.
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Organization of program
YEA! classes meet October through May for three hours weekly with students in grades 6-12.
There are no classes during regular school holidays and recesses. Students are taught by an instructor, and are exposed to guest lecturers, successful entrepreneurs and business mentors. The class goes on field trips to a variety of local businesses. Finally, the students participate in three major events throughout the year: the Investor Panel, trade show and a formal graduation ceremony.
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Over the course of the program, students
- Brainstorm business ideas
- Write a business plan
- Interact with business professionals and mentors
- Pitch their business plan to potential “investors” (think ABC’s “Shark Tank”)
- Obtain funding
- Legally register their businesses
- Participate in a trade show
- Actually launch their own businesses or social movements
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How business professionals can get involved
Through their interactions with business professionals during the year, YEA! students gain some of the most important knowledge and experience they need to succeed. Local professionals volunteer their time and expertise as guest speakers, mentors, investors, graphic designers, field trip hosts, business plan reviewers and much more. The time YEA! students spend with adults who encourage their futures is invaluable, and participants often report getting even more out of their participation than they put in to it.
If you are interested in becoming involved with YEA! as a guest speaker, field trip host or volunteer, contact Alyssa at 218.359.0529 or email alakoduk@fmwfchamber.com.
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Presenting Sponsor
