Keiser University’s Flagship Campus was pleased to host the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Investor Panel. Presented by the Central Palm Beach County Community Foundation, the nonprofit arm of the Central Palm Beach County Chamber of Commerce, the event awarded fifteen middle and high school students a total of $10,000 in startup funding to launch their businesses. Dr. Tom Duncan, Campus President of Keiser University’s Flagship Campus, was one of the Investor Panelists who helped determine the winners and startup funding.
“This was the perfect event to host at Keiser University,” said Duncan. “Due to our very strong focus on entrepreneurship and business, hosting these young entrepreneurs and helping to invest in their dreams and business ventures is exactly the kind of community engagement that we are known for,” Duncan continued.
One of the hosts for the YEA! activity was Mr. Michael Sawney, an Academic Advisor on the Flagship campus, who is a regular volunteer instructor for YEA! students. Sawney has hosted many YEA! classes and activities on the Flagship Campus.
With investor funds awarded based on the potential for success, Ryan Shnider and Ethan Shapiro, the 14 and 15-year-old Co-Presidents of Snap’d In, were selected as the YEA! Saunders Scholar semifinalists. They will advance to the YEA! regional competition in Rochester, New York, to compete for the opportunity to win college scholarships and business startup prize packages.
“This was truly a collaborative community effort made possible by all of our sponsors, mentors and everyone who came out to support these budding entrepreneurs. The students’ creativity and dedication was inspiring! FPL and the Chamber are proud to help empower the next generation of business leaders,” stated Thomas Bean, Director of Public and Community Engagement for Florida Power and Light, and Chair of the Board of Directors for the Central Palm Beach County Chamber.
YEA! is an afterschool program offering groundbreaking year-long classes that teach middle and high school students how to start and run their own businesses. Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors for startup funds, and launch and run their own, fully-formed companies and social movements.
Group photo is courtesy of Chelle J Photography
My instructors believed in me. They were more than instructors, they tried to get to know you as a person and tried to understand your goals so they could push you towards them. Student services helped me find a job before I even graduated. Everyone was dedicated to my overall success.
