Brusly sophomore Chloe David, 16, left, and her business partner, Brusly senior Angie Amador, 18, present their business venture, Cool Down, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Catholic High senior Ronald Boshea, 18, speaks on his business venture, Mega Kicks, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Woodlawn senior Thomas Averett, 19, speaks on his business venture, Best Self, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Catholic High senior Ronald Boshea, 18, speaks on his business venture, Mega Kicks, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Brusly sophomore Chloe David, 16, left, and her business partner, Brusly senior Angie Amador, 18, present their business venture, Cool Down, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Woodlawn senior Thomas Averett, 19, speaks on his business venture, Best Self, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Kayla Gibson, a senior at Liberty Magnet High School, is an aspiring baker and long-timer entrepreneur. She will be pitching her healthy snacks business, Sweet Benefits, March 8, for her share of $25,000.
Kathy Hu, a sophomore at the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, will be pitching Bookmarked, an online community for readers and book clubs at YEA BR’s March 8 Community Pitch event.
Devyani Vij is a 17-year-old senior at The Dunham School. Devyani will be pitching her teen-focused budgeting app, Moola, at 5 p.m. at the Community Pitch March 8 at the LSU Business Education Complex Rotunda.
Woodlawn senior Thomas Averett, 19, speaks on his business venture, Best Self, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Brusly sophomore Chloe David, 16, left, and her business partner, Brusly senior Angie Amador, 18, present their business venture, Cool Down, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Catholic High senior Ronald Boshea, 18, speaks on his business venture, Mega Kicks, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Catholic High senior Ronald Boshea, 18, speaks on his business venture, Mega Kicks, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Woodlawn senior Thomas Averett, 19, speaks on his business venture, Best Self, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Devyani Vij realized that mortgages and other things like car notes and electricity bills cluttered the available budgeting apps that she and her other teenage friends needed.
Listening to 17-year-old Vij explain how she settled on the idea of building Moola, an app that caters to teens’ budgeting needs, sounds more like talking to a Silicon Valley superstar than a Baton Rouge-area high school senior.
Devyani Vij is a 17-year-old senior at The Dunham School. Devyani will be pitching her teen-focused budgeting app, Moola, at 5 p.m. at the Community Pitch March 8 at the LSU Business Education Complex Rotunda.
“I was looking for gaps in the market in my area of interest,” she said.
For the record, financial engineering is her area of interest.
“This idea ended up sticking,” the Dunham School high school senior said. “I call it a ‘happy coincidence’ that it aligns with what I want to study in college.”
She plans to study the aforementioned “financial engineering” in the fall when she enrolls at Columbia University in New York City as a freshman.
Vij is one of 19 area students who will be pitching their new businesses, all registered with the state of Louisiana, at the Community Pitch, 5 p.m. March 8 in the LSU Business Education Complex Rotunda, as part of this year’s Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge.
Brusly sophomore Chloe David, 16, left, and her business partner, Brusly senior Angie Amador, 18, present their business venture, Cool Down, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
The 19 students have completed an arduous one-year program, developed their businesses, written business plans, developed their pitches and come Tuesday evening, they will pitch for their share of $25,000 to go toward launching their businesses in the Community Pitch (money provided by Community Coffee).
Claire Willis, executive director of Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge, explains that the 19 young entrepreneurs represent the organization’s fourth year of students. The current students have been working for the last month perfecting their pitches for the Shark Tank-style pitch session and their chance to present and compete before a five-person panel to earn anywhere from $250 to $5,000 as a seed investment for their companies.
Additionally, after the Community Pitch, one of the 19 students will be named as the winner and go on to compete against young entrepreneurs from across the country in June in New York.
Woodlawn senior Thomas Averett, 19, speaks on his business venture, Best Self, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
Other business ideas include Nabi Lotus Cosmetics, a chemical-free skin care line, started by Corynn Gray; Pack Up, a backpack with configurable storage, started by JohnHenry Thorne; ThreadCycling, an online secondhand clothing business for younger audiences started by Mackenzie Millican and more.
“These young people are really incredible and they’ll be looking for additional support to partner with other businesses as they pursue their business ventures,” Willis said.
Kathy Hu, a 16-year-old sophomore at Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, will be pitching alongside Devyani and the rest of their Young Entrepreneurs Academy cohorts. Kathy’s start-up is called Bookmarked, a website for readers and book clubs.
Kathy Hu, a sophomore at the Episcopal School of Baton Rouge, will be pitching Bookmarked, an online community for readers and book clubs at YEA BR’s March 8 Community Pitch event.
“I love reading. I was the kid who was sitting down reading when all the other kids were outside playing,” Hu said. “I want to encourage everyone, including other kids like me, to read and find a reading community.”
Hu said she has decided to gear Bookmarked toward book clubs — both existing and readers around the world who might be looking for a reading community.
Willis compared Hu’s project as the online version of an independent bookstore going up against the biggies, in this case, Hu’s boutique-style online reading community is going up against Goodreads.
“She’s got the website built and is working on the financial model,” Willis said.
When asked about her current favorite book, Hu’s business-like demeanor faded away and the teenage girl she is surfaced front and center as she gushed about the brilliance that is Kevin Kwan’s “Crazy Rich Asians” series.
Kayla Gibson, a 17-year-old senior at Liberty Magnet High, will be pitching her company, Sweet Benefits. Gibson, a business owner for years, has worked to develop a line of healthy snacks that taste like her favorite treats.
Kayla Gibson, a senior at Liberty Magnet High School, is an aspiring baker and long-timer entrepreneur. She will be pitching her healthy snacks business, Sweet Benefits, March 8, for her share of $25,000.
“It’s good to have healthy options — that taste good,” Gibson said.
Her path toward creating healthier snack options started when she was in the eighth grade and was struggling with anxiety.
“My doctor told me to start exercising and eating healthier,” she said.
Gibson says her Sweet Benefits brownies are in pretty packaging that includes a ribbon with her business’ logo.
“I’ve wanted to be a baker or pastry chef for years,” she said, explaining that she hopes to go to college at Johnson & Wales University in Providence, Rhode Island. “Am I nervous? Yes! Remember, I’ve had some anxiety. I’ve been in some dark times, but I’m going to push through.”
Gibson says her anxiety has gotten better as she’s improved her health and eating habits.
“I went from my heart racing morning to night to now I don’t even think of it unless something major happens,” she said.
She credits her faith and supportive family, along with her love of baking, for helping make a major positive change in her life.
Willis said she admires Gibson’s entrepreneurial spirit and leadership skills.
“She’s had a business for a while, but with Sweet Benefits, she is narrowing her focus. She realizes that obesity is a big issue,” Willis said. “Kayla takes her social responsibility seriously and is looking for a way to give back. She plans to turn some of her profits into charitable good — and she would love to partner with Pennington on some of her work.”
Kayla will have samples of her healthy baked goods at the Community Pitch.
“Spoiler alert,” Willis said. “They’re delicious — and gluten-free. When she told me some of the ingredients, I was amazed!”
Willis, a former high school principal, and Young Entrepreneurs Academy founder Deborah Sternberg consider the opportunity for the students to build and launch their own businesses to be experiential learning.
Woodlawn senior Thomas Averett, 19, speaks on his business venture, Best Self, Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at the LSU Business Education Complex as the Young Entrepreneur Academy prepares for their Community Pitch set for March 8.
“I love authentic learning — and that’s what this is,” Willis said. “This is learning by doing — even if our students don’t end up pursuing this particular business, they are learning solid business fundamentals that they can apply either to a business they work for or to another business idea that they choose to pursue down the road.”
For more:
To learn more about Young Entrepreneurs Academy, including information on how to be a part of next year’s cohort, click here.
To reserve a seat (space is limited) for the 5 p.m. March 8 Community Pitch at the LSU Business Education Complex Rotunda, click here. (Space is limited.)
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