On May 7th, a group of students between ages 11 and 18 finally pitched the businesses that they’ve been working hard to develop over the past seven months. After the Investor Panel pitch, they officially graduated from Lynchburg, Virginia’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy, an entrepreneurship program that prepares the next generation of leaders.
Even though every student had an excellent pitch, this year’s YEA! winners include:
- Will Bailey, CEO of Will’s Gills, won the Saunders Scholarship and received $685 in seed money. Bailey will compete in Boca Raton at the regional competition later this month.
- Joanna Myers, owner of J Sights Photography, received a $500 Sam’s Club gift card for her pitch.
Initiated by the Lynchburg Regional Chamber’s Leadership Lynchburg program, the academy is supported by local companies, entrepreneurs, professional mentors and Lynchburg, Virginia’s Economic Development Authority (LEDA). In the past two years, 37 student businesses have launched and, this year alone, $6,000 was invested into 11 student businesses.
The YEA! program is a national program that helps empower our youth and teach them valuable business skills that are easily transferable in their future careers. Statistically, all academy graduates finish high school on time and 99 percent enroll in college.
For more info, read “Young Entrepreneurs Make Their Pitches To Investors”
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