What happens when you take 24 students and give them an opportunity to create their own businesses? Not only that, but you include an investors panel that provides them with the opportunity to compete against each other for start-up capital. You get the Grapevine YEA! Program – Young Entrepreneur’s Academy.
Tomorrow night, Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m., 17 businesses with owners between the ages of 12 – 17 will be at the Palace Theatre, located at 300 S. Main St., Grapevine. The business owners will present their business ideas, businesses and marketing plans to nine investors who sponsored the program and who will provide some or perhaps all of their capital needs.
Each business will have six minutes to wow the investors and get a head start on their business. On top of that, one of the businesses will be selected to represent the Grapevine YEA! Program on the national stage and compete in Rochester, New York against the other YEA! Programs from across the country for an Entrepreneurial Scholarship. The investors will select that business at the end of Tuesday night’s competition.
In August, these students began YEA! by applying for the program. Each student went through an interview process, and those selected began the 30-week program, every Monday evening after school. They have had the opportunity to meet with lawyers, insurance agents and business professionals, as well as tour businesses including the Gaylord Texan and Chick-fil-A. They have worked with area business leaders as mentors, website developers and with graphic design students from Texas Christian University to create their company logos and marketing material.
By the end of the program, more than 100 business and community leaders will have invested more than 2,000 hours to help with the YEA! Program and support these future business and community leaders.
Following the investors panel, these students will continue to build their businesses by determining other funding if needed; meeting with the Tarrant County Clerk’s office to file their DBAs; preparing for their first trade show, which is scheduled for May 11 at Grapevine Mills Mall; and meeting with even more area professionals to help build their strong business foundation.
Story courtesy of the Grapevine Chamber of Commerce