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Today’s kids becoming tomorrow’s entrepreneurs at Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs

Today, the number of start-up ideas – and opportunities for those ideas to become realities – is seemingly limitless. What was once a humble lemonade stand has blossomed, with the help of innovation and guidance, into a myriad of potential prospects.
Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs 1

Today, the number of start-up ideas – and opportunities for those ideas to become realities – is seemingly limitless. What was once a humble lemonade stand has blossomed, with the help of innovation and guidance, into a myriad of potential prospects. Take, for instance, CupPaul, an original non-stick cup holder invented by seven-year-old Paul, or Time Caps, made by Coby, 15, who fashions clocks made of old hubcaps.

These are just some of the ‘kid-preneurs’ and ‘biz-kids’ at Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs, an after school enrichment program designed to engage children in entrepreneurial thinking using fun, creative ways. Founder and CEO, Tressa Wood, is the woman behind the business, putting her own entrepreneurial talents, once again, to good use.

“One of the fundamentals of entrepreneurship is solving problems and looking for opportunities,” Wood, who has her own entrepreneurial background in franchising, said. “If you teach kids to start looking at the world like that from a young age, you are giving them a real advantage in the future, even if they don’t become an entrepreneur. Taking initiative, finding solutions to problems and learning from your mistakes are crucial to success in any career.”

After looking at the school system, Wood saw how the rapidly changing economy influences what is being taught – and what should be taught – in school. Driven to ensure that the future generations, like those of her daughters aged seven and nine, would be well equipped to enter the workforce by nurturing skills that are associated with entrepreneurship early in life.

Starting Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs was part of Wood’s plan to get children to start thinking critically and creatively about solving problems that they see in the world. “Kids are naturally entrepreneurial,” Wood said, speaking to the imagination and boldness of children’s ideas, those of which are not bound by the status quo.

The programs, designed by Wood herself with the help of instructional design and educational experts, are divided by age group from seven-year-olds to fifteen-year-olds. Their 15-week program introduce the buildings blocks of business in an engaging and fun way, as kids work toward launching their own mini-business at a public Market Day.

Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs is committed to helping kids get a leg up and find their passion through entrepreneurship. At the end of it, these young entrepreneurs will appreciate the value of money, the rewards of increased confidence and can reflect on how business can be fun.

Programs are coming to Richmond this September. To learn more about Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs visit www.yelearninglabs.com, call 1-800-243-0335 or email programs@yelearninglabs.com. You can also find Young Entrepreneur Learning Labs on Facebook.