The first Young Entrepreneurs Academy in the state is coming to Mercer County, says the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The chamber, in partnership with The College of New Jersey, plans to bring YEA!, a 30-week experiential learning program, to Mercer County.
YEA! will give 30 students the opportunity to become real-life entrepreneurs. YEA! started in 2004 at the University of Rochester. Since then, the program has expanded to 38 states.
The YEA! program in Mercer County will be the first of its kind in New Jersey. Throughout the program, students selected through an application process meet once a week to generate business ideas, conduct market research, write a business plan, pitch to a panel of investors, and launch their own business. Weekly classes are held on campus at TCNJ on Tuesday evenings.
Each weekly class is taught by a volunteer instructor from the local business community, and the curriculum includes field trips to learn about local businesses, as well as guest speakers with subject matter expertise to share with the students. Each YEA! student is assigned a mentor to help bring their vision to life.
“Innovation and entrepreneurship are hallmarks of our regional business community, and the chamber is excited to see what happens when we extend this opportunity to local high school students,” said Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce president and CEO Hal English.
“Both as chair of the board of the chamber and as a parent of high school students, I am thrilled that the chamber is extending its reach into our local schools,” said Jeannine Cimino. “Through YEA! we are giving students access to local business leaders and opportunities for mentorship that can have a profound impact on their future.”
“We are excited to partner with the Princeton Mercer Regional Chamber of Commerce to host these young entrepreneurs,” said TCNJ President Michael Bernstein. “They represent the next generation of innovators and business leaders in our state and we are thrilled to help facilitate and encourage their professional aspirations by welcoming them to our campus.”
“Our local businesses form the backbone of our economy, and with the YEA! program the Chamber is connecting our next generation of entrepreneurs with the knowledge and skills they’ll need to succeed,” said Mercer County Executive Dan Benson. “I can’t wait to see the businesses that these students build.”
YEA! programs across the country have produced success stories like Rachel Zeitz, who went on to graduate from Princeton University while continuing to build the business she founded through YEA! at the age of 13: Gladiator Lacrosse.
Other YEA! entrepreneurs include Asad Muhammad, who established Taste of Supreme Bakery, specializing in all-natural baked goods in Rochester, New York; and Brandon Boynton who is now the CEO of MostBeastlyStudios, LLC, the mobile application development suite he developed while a part of YEA!
Applications for YEA! are due June 30. Students that attend a high school in Mercer County are eligible to apply. The application form, as well as additional information about the program and eligibility can be found at www.princetonmercerchamber.org/yea/.
Tuition for YEA! is $995 and includes all program materials, field trips, events, and supplies. Scholarships are available for students with demonstrated need, and the YEA! team can assist with transportation challenges as needed.
YEA! is underwritten by local businesses and organizations that include One Simple Wish, NJM Insurance Group, and FirstBank Charitable Foundation, as of press time. Organizations interested in becoming sponsors should contact Gretchen DiMarco at gretchen@princetonmercer.org.
