Ryan and Jack Fleming Yard Boyz Youth Business on stage holding check

Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars Winner: Yard Boyz

Janet Redwine Events, YouthBiz Leave a Comment

16-21 Age Category Many teens mow lawns to earn money in the summer. But Jack Fleming has re-defined what it means to be the neighborhood lawn-kid through his business Yard Boyz. In existence since 2015, Jack’s unparalleled customer service, marketing efforts and determination helped him grow his businesses from mowing a few lawns a week to providing lawn and basic landscaping to more than 70 regular clients this …

HER Design Store Products Displayed

Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars Winner: HER Designs

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12-15 Age Category Hannah calls herself an accidental entrepreneur, but this “accident” has become called HER Designs. Named after her initials, Hannah’s business sells hair clips, mirrors, pop-socket-like phone holders and mini personal alarms, each customized with her signature rosette. Hannah estimates that she’s sold more than 1,000 hair clips in the four years she has owned her business. Owning a business has enabled Hannah …

Ryder Matz Gumball Machine Iconography

Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars Winner: Ryder’s Riches LLC

Janet Redwine Events, YouthBiz Leave a Comment

6-11 Age Category When Ryder received a gumball machine for his birthday, he decided to start a business: Ryder’s Riches LLC. Ryder’s Traveling Gumball Machine spends time visiting shops and restaurants in the Lafayette, Louisville, and Boulder area, adventuring to a new spot every month or two. The best part about owning a business for Ryder, besides seeing how much money he makes, is being able …

State Farm stands together with Young AmeriTowne and many students

Young Americans Center Recognizes State Farm at Annual Gala

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In Young AmeriTowne, students learn about how philanthropy means giving one’s time, talent or treasure to better their community.  Long-time Young Americans Center for Financial Education supporter State Farm has done this and so much more.  To recognize this commitment, State Farm received the Linda Childears Free Enterprise Award at the annual Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars gala, held Thursday, October …

AmeriTowne Kroenke Sports Venue Shop

What’s New in Young Americans Center Programs

Janet Redwine International Towne, Programs, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

AmeriTowne and International Towne began the 2019-20 school year with some exciting changes!  The end goal is to provide programs that are relevant, thought-provoking, and that deliver an improved hands-on lesson in financial education. Young AmeriTowne changes include parent communication, curriculum enhancements, and the Day in Towne experience.  When a school registers for Young AmeriTowne, teachers receive a Parent Newsletter …

UPS Volunteers Young AmeriTowne with Eagleview with Towne Mayor

Sponsor Spotlight: UPS Volunteers Deliver a Day in Young AmeriTowne

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Preparing for a day in Young AmeriTowne requires effort from students, teachers, and parents. So, there’s nothing worse than doing all of the work and then having your day cancelled due to snow. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened for students at Eagleview Elementary, an Adams 12 school in Thornton. A January snow storm derailed their visit to Young AmeriTowne, …

Youth entrepreneurs helped fuel the energy and excitement of Denver Startup Week for a third straight year! Youth Pass, a partnership between Young Americans Center’s YouthBiz program, Junior Achievement and Denver Startup Week, enabled students to participate in event workshops, to lead panel discussions, to compete for cash prizes, and to pitch their business ideas to Colorado entrepreneurs and business leaders throughout the week of September 16-20. YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS SHOUKEN LOPEZ, LUKE ADEN, MIA HAYDEN, MELANIE ZHOU, AND JACK MCCONNELL PITCHED AT THE YOUTH PASS PITCH CHALLENGE. A highlight of the week occurred on Tuesday afternoon with the Youth Pass Pitch Challenge. Mirroring the adult Pitch Challenge, Youth Pass provided an opportunity for youth-owned businesses to pitch to a panel of judges. Four businesses took part: Luke Aden Photography created by Luke Aden, The Teen Entrepreneur created by Shouken Lopez, Katch created by Jack McConnell, and Oasis created by Mia Hayden and Melanie Zhou. Luke, who is a senior at Dakota Ridge High School, felt honored to participate: “The fact that teens have this opportunity is so exciting, and my goal is to hit the ground running whether I win or not.” Vice President of YouthBiz, Anna Leer, watched these entrepreneurs grow throughout the process of preparing for their pitch. “This experience has pushed them way beyond what’s comfortable,” she said. “Watching them grow, think, and develop what they really want for their business has been truly awe-inspiring for me and for everyone involved.” Team Oasis ended up taking top honors at the Youth Pass Pitch Challenge. Inspired to take action after a friend’s suicide, Mia and Melanie created Oasis to provide a physical “Oasis” space in schools for students to seek emotional care. After winning the Youth Pass Pitch Challenge, Oasis went on to compete against 19 other (adult-owned) businesses for a chance at the Denver Startup Week Pitch Challenge Finals. Mia and Melanie wowed the judges again, and they went on to win the Grand Prize Package worth $100,000! HANNAH, THE OWNER OF SIMPLY DENVER SOAP CO., TALKS TO CUSTOMERS AT THE DENVER STARTUP WEEK MARKETPLACE & EXPO. Youth entrepreneurs also participated in the third annual YouthBiz Marketplace and Expo at Denver Startup Week. While some of the 19 participants had long-established businesses, others, like 11-year-old Hannah, made their debut at the event. Hannah’s business, Simply Denver Soap Company, sells all-natural soaps for people with sensitive skin, just like her. For Hannah, talking to people about her products was, “a lot of fun!” She even made a few connections with business owners that would like to sell her soap in their shops. Marketplace visitors were also delighted and impressed with their experience. Entrepreneur and Denver Startup Week Participant Martin Rosenberg wrote on Twitter, “The young entrepreneurs here at #DENStartupWeek‘s Future of Entrepreneurship event were all so impressive, and I can’t thank @yacenter enough for putting this event on. I look forward to buying from all of them.” GABE NAGEL, CHLOE WARREN, CLAIRE FISK, AND EVAN HOING SHARED THEIR INSIGHTS WITH FELLOW MAKERS AT THE DENVER STARTUP WEEK MAKING IT PANEL. Youth Pass 2019 wrapped up with a panel discussion called Making It: Achieve Success in the Maker Movement at Any Age. Four young entrepreneurs led the discussion: Gabe Nagel, creator of Gabe’s Bazaar, Chloe Warren, Co-Owner of Sweet Bee Sisters, Claire Fisk, creator of Wonderful Words, and Evan Hoing, Owner of Evan Hoing Woodworking. In addition to sharing their stories, the entrepreneurs provided inspiration for getting started in the Maker Movement. Claire’s advice was simple: “Say yes! There’s so many opportunities if you just decide to say yes!” Gabe added, “Be persistent. Keep trying and don’t give up.” Through Denver Startup Week Youth Pass, youth entrepreneurs gained real world experience in running a business, pitching an idea and networking with the Colorado business community. And the real value of this week was that adult entrepreneurs could witness and interact with the future of entrepreneurship in our state.

Experience and Inspiration at Denver Startup Week 2019

Janet Redwine Events, YouthBiz 2 Comments

Youth entrepreneurs helped fuel the energy and excitement of Denver Startup Week for a third straight year!  Youth Pass, a partnership between Young Americans Center’s YouthBiz program, Junior Achievement and Denver Startup Week, enabled students to participate in event workshops, to lead panel discussions, to compete for cash prizes, and to pitch their business ideas to Colorado entrepreneurs and business …

This skilled seamstress has discovered the power of advertising at an early age! After discovering her mother’s old sewing machine and taking a few lessons, 12-year-old Maile McManis sold her first products in December of last year. She sews cosmetic bags, produce bags, handbags, purses, and more for her business Sewing with Smiles. Maile is a finalist in the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition. Learn more about Maile below, and watch her segment on Colorado and Company . Question: Tell me a little bit about you — name, age, how long you’ve been an entrepreneur? Answer: Hi there, my name is Maile McManis. I am 12 years old and the oldest of 4. I have 2 very energetic, sportsy sisters, and one CRAZY brother. I am a 7th grader and I love seeing the world. I am learning Chinese and I take drama. I love all animals, especially my 150lb. puppy who loves to play. I started sewing in June of 2018, when we found my mom’s old sewing machine in our basement. She never learned to sew, but she was very supportive and even found me an amazing sewing teacher, her name is Marsha. Marsha taught me everything I know about sewing, and I am still learning from her. Then in December of 2018, I decided to sell my bags at the YouthBiz Holiday Market. It was a huge success… I made $300, and that was the start of my business. Since then I can barely stop sewing. Q: Do you have a website? If so, let us know what it is. A: At the current moment, I do not have a website, but am planning on creating one this year. To make an order, you can email me at sewingwithsmilesbymaile@gmail.com. Q: What motivated or inspired you to start a business? A: I was motivated to start a business by my sewing teacher, my mom, my grandparents, and my dad, they were always encouraging me to sell my things and start saving up for things that I wanted. If it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t be here right now. Q: Please share an overview about your business. A: My business is all about bags. I sew multiple different types of bags, cosmetic, produce, handbags, purses, leather bags, and one of my new bags is the candy wrapper bags. Q: Tell us about some of the challenges you face being a young business owner. A: Some of the challenges of being a young business owner are fitting everything in. I am in middle school, I have homework, I play volleyball and I am in a musical theater performance. So sometimes it is hard to make time to sew and still have fun in my other activities. There are things I would like to do to continue to grow my business, such as launching a website, but it can be hard since it is time consuming. Q: Why should other youth start a business? A: Other kids should start a business because it teaches you responsibility and it helps save up for things that you really want. It is also fun to see the reactions when you tell people about what you do. Q: What’s the best part about having your own business? A: The best part about having my own business is doing something not a lot of other kids my age do. I am proud of what I have accomplished and I am excited to see where my business will go in the future. One other really cool part is that I am able to spend my profit in really awesome ways. For example, my school has a theater trip to New York City, and my parents said that they would split it with me, thankfully I have enough money to go. Q: So, you’re one of the finalists for the Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars business competition–congratulations! What motivated you to apply for the competition, and what do you hope to get from this experience? A: I was interested in applying to this competition because I think I have very interesting products that people will really like, and I think that the attention for my business will be great. I would really love to win! The thing I hope to get from this experience most is a mentor to help give me tips and advice to help my business grow. Q: Please share about your involvement with Young Americans. A: When I was younger, I went to Young Americans’ summer camps and at school I participated in AmeriTowne. I learned a lot about money and the importance of saving. For about a year now, I have been selling through their YouthBiz Marketplaces and am now excited to be a finalist in the Spotlight competition.

Monthly Entrepreneur: Maile McManis, Sewing with Smiles

Janet Redwine YouthBiz Leave a Comment

This skilled seamstress has discovered the power of advertising at an early age!  After discovering her mother’s old sewing machine and taking a few lessons, 12-year-old Maile McManis sold her first products in December of last year.  She sews cosmetic bags, produce bags, handbags, purses, and more for her business Sewing with Smiles.  Maile is a finalist in the Spotlight …

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Meet a Mentor: Alice Jackson, President, Xcel Energy – Colorado

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Spotlight on YouthBiz Stars, the annual business competition and gala benefitting Young Americans Center for Financial Education is just a few weeks away!  As a result, this month we’re introducing esteemed mentor Alice Jackson, President of Xcel Energy – Colorado.  Jackson joins a group of distinguished Denver-area business people willing to share their experience and knowledge by mentoring an up-and-coming …

Asian American Counts Cash and Writes in Checkbook

Sponsor Spotlight: How Vectra Bank Teaches Kids that Saving is Important

Janet Redwine Get Involved, Young AmeriTowne Leave a Comment

When the Federal Reserve published the latest Report on the Economic Well-Being in May, 2019, results indicated that although saving rates in the United States are improving, there is still much work to be done.  In particular, non-white and middle-to-low-income adults reported higher rates of financial distress than surveyed white and middle-to-upper-income adults.  Federal Reserve Board Governor Michelle W. Bowman …