By Barbara Nicastro, The Law Offices of Barbara E. Nicastro
YEA! stands for Young Entrepreneurs Academy, but the phrase doesn’t begin to describe the energy, determination, and talent of the individuals who have participated in Arlington’s YEA! program over the past three years. I’ve had the privilege of being one of the instructors for two years and have been blown away by the abilities of these middle and high school students.
YEA! stands for Young Entrepreneurs Academy, but the phrase doesn’t begin to describe the energy, determination, and talent of the individuals who have participated in Arlington’s YEA! program over the past three years. I’ve had the privilege of being one of the instructors for two years and have been blown away by the abilities of these middle and high school students.
The best way to describe YEA! is a junior “Shark Tank,” the successful ABC television show where business owners seek investment money from a panel of top entrepreneurs. Over a nine month period, budding entrepreneurs and dreamers in middle and high school bring their ideas to the classroom for three hours a week and learn how to grow those ideas into opportunities, and ultimately, into successful business operations. They learn marketing, finance, business organization, legal and tax issues, sourcing of products, pitching their ideas, and other valuable knowledge and skills necessary to grow and maintain a business. Like a bulb planted in the fall, by spring, ideas have budded and flowered and are ready to be pitched to investors, produced and brought to market. They receive invaluable resource assistance from highly successful business people who volunteer time to impart their knowledge to the class. There have been a number of young entrepreneurs who have launched and continued operating their businesses past high school and into college. Even if a student’s end result is not a continuing business, the lessons learned and the experience of working cooperatively to get from A to B to C are invaluable tools for their future. What has most touched my heart is to see the progression of many young men and women from shy, uncertain, and (slightly) disorganized individuals into confident, thoughtful, and focused people who can discuss their businesses as well as many adult owners.
While most of this process takes place in the classroom, there are several opportunities for the public to participate. The first is the upcoming CEO Roundtable sponsored by the Crystal City Business Improvement District on February 23 at 1776 in Crystal City, during which the current YEA! class and audience members will hear from a panel of prominent business owners who will share their inspiring start-up stories and answer questions. Another is the YEA! Investor Panel to be held on March 30 at Marymount University, where this year’s class will pitch their businesses to local “sharks” to seek investment capital.
Finally, on May 18, the public can experience the fruit of the YEA! entrepreneurs’ efforts at the trade show where the products and business ideas will be presented at the Ballston BID Farmers’ Market for the public to purchase, discuss, and experience.
Whether you are a business owners yourself, the parent of a budding middle or high school entrepreneur or just someone who will enjoy seeing the future of our county, come to as many of these events as you can! If you do, you will definitely find yourself saying – either silently or out loud – “Yea for YEA! and the YEA! students!”
While most of this process takes place in the classroom, there are several opportunities for the public to participate. The first is the upcoming CEO Roundtable sponsored by the Crystal City Business Improvement District on February 23 at 1776 in Crystal City, during which the current YEA! class and audience members will hear from a panel of prominent business owners who will share their inspiring start-up stories and answer questions. Another is the YEA! Investor Panel to be held on March 30 at Marymount University, where this year’s class will pitch their businesses to local “sharks” to seek investment capital.
Finally, on May 18, the public can experience the fruit of the YEA! entrepreneurs’ efforts at the trade show where the products and business ideas will be presented at the Ballston BID Farmers’ Market for the public to purchase, discuss, and experience.
Whether you are a business owners yourself, the parent of a budding middle or high school entrepreneur or just someone who will enjoy seeing the future of our county, come to as many of these events as you can! If you do, you will definitely find yourself saying – either silently or out loud – “Yea for YEA! and the YEA! students!”
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