Arlington Heights Chamber, District 25 Host YEA! Investors Panel

Seven Arlington Heights middle school students presented their business plans to a panel of investors who donated start-up capital to help launch their businesses, as part of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) program. The following students, and the businesses they created are listed below:

• Niall McNally: YourWrapper
• Ahad Jafry & Sean DeGrazia: The Book-Look
• Violet Saradin: Comfortainer
• Colin Rochford & Matan Moyal: The Organize Guys
• Grace Huberty: Fuzzybanks 

Each student gave a power point presentation to pitch their business opportunity to a panel of seven local business owners and leaders on March 13.

The investors panel consisted of Charlie Beck; Executive Director of the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, Greg Paddovani; Owner of Pen’s Communications Systems, Dr. Joe Favia, owner of Favia Family Dental, Greg Geissenberger; Owner of Express Employment Professionals, Dianna Ehrenfried; owner of Visualedge Creative Services, Mike Sidor; owner of Michael J. Sidor & Company and Village Trustee, and Michael Mulder; Vice President with Village Bank and Trust.

“Some business start-up’s got fully funded, others only partial.” said Jon S. Ridler, Executive Director of the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce. “The students were taught there is no guarantee of being funded but we did guarantee to teach them how to take a business idea to an opportunity, build a business plan and then present it for funding. The next part was simply real life in the business world.”

Now each business will be working on launching their business with the level of funding received, along with personal and family investments. They will also be preparing for a YEA! business expo in May where they will display their business and talk with potential customers.

Grace Huberty, owner of Fuzzybanks was chosen to represent the Arlington Heights YEA! chapter at a national YEA! competition in Rochester New York in April, and will be competing for college scholarships. “The panel chose Fuzzybanks because of the great work Grace did on her plan and presentation as well as the potential of her business being successful.” said Greg Padovani, spokesperson for the panel.

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy is a groundbreaking educational program that takes students through the process of starting and running a REAL business! Students work closely with local business leaders to cultivate and research business ideas, write a business plan, pitch their plan to a panel of investors (think Shark Tank meets The Apprentice meets American Idol!), obtain funding, develop their brand, participate in a Trade Show at the end of the year, and actually launch their enterprise! Through the YEA! program, kids start as students and graduate as CEOs. They learn to get a great education, start a business and create jobs!

The Arlington Heights Chamber and School District 25 are proud to make it possible for middle school students from Thomas and South Middle School and Our Lady of the Wayside to start and launch their own REAL businesses and experience firsthand that they really can embrace their passion, live their dream and change the world!

Information on the 2013-14 YEA! class will be made available to students in May with applications and interviews being conducted in September.

If you'd like to learn more about YEA! visit their website. 

Information provided by the Arlington Heights Chamber of Commerce.