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YEA! Pensacola – Young Entrepreneurs Academy 2015
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a ground-breaking program that takes students through the process of starting and running real businesses over the course of a full academic year.
YEA! students, as a class, visit area businesses, meet succ
essful entrepreneurs, meet with professionals (attorneys, accountants, bankers, graphic designers, web developers, insurance providers, etc.), develop a business or social movement idea and plan, and work with mentors.
Students then pitch their ideas to a panel of investors made up of local business and community leaders with real dollars at stake to obtain funding, and then launch their venture. By the end of the class, students own and operate fully functioning businesses.
YEA! classes meet Tuesdays from 5-8 p.m. at the University of West Florida’s campus from November through May.
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Students in grades 6 to 12, from Santa Rosa and Escambia County are encouraged to APPLY NOW!
Interested in participating as a sponsor or volunteer in the program?
Click here for more sponsorship and volunteer information.
Cierra Moore / Coterie Beads
CEO
Coterie Beads is a female owned, sole proprietorship that imports and sells, beautiful, unique, affordable women’s jewelry, from 5 countries. My name is Ceirra Moore and I’m the 11 year old CEO of Coterie Beads. I began my business because, like a lot of ladies, one day my mind just told me to by a piece of jewelry. Sadly, most of the jewelry in my local area was either, typical and kind of boring, above my price range or completely fake. I knew there had to be a solution and importing and selling my own jewelry was it. Through a 30 week Young Entrepreneurs Academy Program, I learned the skills and received the funding necessary to do just that. Like the YEA motto said, I began as a student and finished as a CEO!
Laura Brewer / Pensacola High School
International Baccalaureate Coordinator
The International Baccalaureate® (IB) offers a continuum of international education. The programmes encourage both personal and academic achievement, challenging students to excel in their studies and in their personal development.
Thomas Booker / Your Just Desserts
CEO
Your Just Desserts – Home of the Happy Cupcake
Thomas Booker, CEO
9th Grade, Pensacola High School
Took home $1,200 from investors.
