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2024 Youth Entrepreneurship Summit
The Youth Entrepreneurship Summit on Saturday, September 28th, brought dozens of young people, ages 14-18, from across Greater Boston together to explore their entrepreneurship dreams and build their skills and leadership abilities during a fun and engaging day of hands-on learning at The Possible Zone’s Innovation Center in Jackson Square. The free event included interactive and engaging workshops, food, prizes, vendors, and keynote remarks from Kurt Faustin, father, entrepreneur, coach, success strategist, and Founder of The Dropout Academy.
Organized by The Possible Zone and its partners at the chica project, the Center for Women & Enterprise, Love Your Magic, and the City of Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement, the 2024 Youth Summit built off the previous successful Girls Entrepreneurship Summits in 2023 and 2022.
“The enthusiasm we witnessed from the girls and parents who joined us, the workshop facilitators, and our teams led us to make the easy decision to expand the Summit and to welcome more young people from across the city–and we’re so happy we did” shared Raven Tukes, Vice President of Partnerships at The Possible Zone. “With our committed co-organizers, we introduced teens to the entrepreneurial mindset, giving them space to envision their own creativity, and to help them see how building a business means building invaluable skills—from design thinking and problem solving, to those more technical in nature.”
Workshops included Monetizing Your Skills – Turning a Hobby into a Hustle; Building Your Brand; Money-Smart Entrepreneurs; Build & Connect: Mastering the Art of Networking; and Personal Reflections—affinity groups by gender. Local entrepreneurs, include Jaleel Davis, alumnus of The Possible Zone, exhibited and sold their products/services. Read about our speakers and workshop facilitators below.
Kurt Faustin is a father, entrepreneur, coach and Success Strategist. Kurt has spoken in front of more than 50,000 people, working with organizations like Harvard University, Chase Bank, and United Way; and is a former HuffPost and Forbes writer. Appointed by Boston Mayor Michelle Wu, Kurt is part of the city’s first ever Black Men and Black Boy’s Commission, and recently selected by Color Magazine’s 40 under 40 Power List. His focus is on bridging the gap between mental health and performance, with an emphasis on emotional intelligence, goal setting and stress management. As a certified Brain Based Coach from the NeuroLeadership Institute, Kurt discovered his own science-backed philosophy and principles to improve performance, while empowering one to make a permanent change within their mindset. Keith was our Keynote Speaker.
Sumeit Aggarwal is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Finhive, a social enterprise dedicated to doing business while doing good. She works with women-owned startups on financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financial reporting. She is actively involved in providing financial education to women and young adults. Sumeit led the Money-Smart Entrepreneurs workshop.
Sami Ginzberg is and Educator / Advisor II at The Possible Zone. She studied English at the University of Connecticut and earned her Master’s Degree and teaching certification from Teacher’s College Columbia University. A devoted educator with nine years of teaching experience, Sami has worked in a variety of educational settings, from urban to suburban to international, including the American School of Barcelona. Sami derives tremendous joy from building lasting bonds with students, and she is eager to immerse herself fully in the makerspace. Sami brings infectious energy and she is passionate about cultivating spaces where students can show up as their full selves. Sami loves to travel and has led student trips in Singapore, Spain, the U.S., and the U.K. Sami co-led the Networking & Storytelling workshop.
Clarence Haynes Jr. has been a Financial Educator for Edelman Financial Engines for more than a dozen years. He is also a motivational speaker, trainer, and coach. Edelman Financial Engines has offered financial planning workshops to parents and guardians of students at The Possible Zone. Edelman team members believe everyone deserves to move their financial life forward. For more than 35 years, the company has offered the tools and expertise to help make that possible. Clarence led the Financial workshop for parents / guardians.
Hervens Jean-Baptiste is an accomplished and dedicated curator with a decade years of expertise in the realm of high-end fashion merchandising, urban apparel, event planning and lifestyle. His experience resides in professional image consulting, wardrobe curation and coordination, public speaking and voice over work, organizational procedure and rules of services, personal brand development, and trend awareness. Further knowledge and expertise lies in public relations, data analysis, marketing, and project management.
Herv’s vast experiences have helped shaped his knowledge and have aided him in becoming an asset to different companies and projects. He’s been able to leverage his fluency in several languages to better and genuinely connect with a wide audience in an effort to distill exactly what it is people wish to see come to fruition in their creative journey. One of his passions is he serves as a mentor for underserved and underprivileged young men residing in the Greater Boston area in an effort for them to reach their full potential. This ranges from social etiquette, finding resources for school needs, financial literacy, and personal and professional development. Herv led the Building Your Brand workshop.
James Lambert III leads with authenticity and is motivated by increasing the quality of an experience for individuals and organizations within his reach. Originating in Newark, NJ, by way of South Carolina and Maryland, James has confronted life lessons that enabled him to develop a true love for people and use courage to propel him through dynamic challenges faced in his early years. His experiences allowed for a discovery of unique methods to identify and leverage privilege to benefit those who have been historically oppressed. He has also developed ways of holding a high bar for accountability by reading cultural temperatures, and disrupting patterns that uphold inequity. These traits, turned skills, are the reason James is able to have the impact he does.
As an elementary through collegiate educator, James has had an impact on students, families and peers by shaping educational activities that enable honest dialogue and new learning to take form. In his career journey, he has stepped into administrative roles that allowed him to extend his reach to impact communities, careers and livelihoods. When he transitioned to City Hall, as the Chief of Staff for a Boston politician, he garnered the power of relationship building in order to strengthen voices and lay groundwork towards actions. Furthermore, it provided him with a new lens to analyze how perspectives are prioritized and for whom. James currently operates two businesses: co-founder of a DEI consulting firm, Making Human Technical, and founder of Third Exposure, a company that focuses on event architecture and business upscaling. James serves as the Vice President on the board for Boston’s National Association for Black’s in Criminal Justice, as a member of the Black Men’s Political Task Force, primary facilitator for the adult SEL platform “The Barbershop Clinics”, serves as visual and vocal representation for multiple businesses throughout Boston and Central Massachusetts, Co-president for his daughter’s parent government association, and holds certification in Criminal and Legal Restorative Justice, and Diversity Equity and Inclusion Essentials. James led the Personal Reflections for Boys session.
Gabriel Rivas Orellana (he/they) is Youth Program Coordinator for the Safe Schools Program for LGBTQ Students and member of the Massachusetts Commission on LGBTQ Youth. They earned their B.A. in Latin American Studies at College College where they co-chaired the Equity and Inclusion, Student Government Association. Gabriel collaborated with the Dean of Equity and Inclusion to formulate a DEI curriculum to increase consciousness of implicit bias and start fostering connectedness within Colby’s campus by leading DEI workshops where learning, awareness, and action are at the forefront of the agenda. They amplified behavior-changing learning experiences through consultation with student leaders and administration on achieving more thoughtful and inclusive programming. Gabriel also worked as an Undergrad Research Assistant and Co-chaired the Student Executive Board at The Goldfarb Center for Public Affairs at Colby. Gabriel led the Personal Reflections workshop for non-binary students.
Since graduating Stonehill, Desiree Ruiz Ramoz, Class of 23’ has focused on exploring her passions around mental health awareness, self-care application, and diversity, equity, and inclusion advocacy. After graduating with her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and English, Desiree began working with youth in the in-home services and crisis field as a Family Intervention Specialist. Recently, she transitioned fields to focus on youth programming and development. Currently she works as a Lead Program Facilitator at the Chica Project. Through both roles she has grown her clinical, social work, facilitator, youth mentorship and development skills. Desiree is continuing her education at Merrimack College and will graduate in 2025 with a Masters of Education in Community Engagement. Desiree co-led the Personal Reflections for Girls session.
Ivanna Solano (she/her/hers) is a Black Latina, educator, and social entrepreneur. Ivanna is the Founder and Executive Director of Love Your Magic, a grassroots organization committed to the healthy development of Black and Brown girls. Born and raised in the Dominican Republic, Ivanna immigrated to the United States at the age of seven where she experienced the educational system as an English Language Learner. Compelled by her experiences as a youth, Ivanna was set ablaze to pursue a career rooted in education, advocacy and social justice. Ivanna earned a Bachelor of Arts in Justice and Law from American University and a Master of Education from Boston University.
Ivanna is a fearless advocate for social justice and education and has worked toward this end in a number of capacities. Ivanna has served as a teacher, the Director of Boston Program for Girls Inc., as a manager of Teacher Leadership Development for Teach for America, and as a 2007 – 2008 Peer advisor to the Obama Foundation. Ivanna has been recognized as a Latinos for Education Aspiring Latino Leaders Fellow, an El Mundo Boston Latino 30 under 30, and as a 2019 Latinx Amplifier. Most recently, Ivanna received the 2022 Young Alumni Award from Boston University for her service as a community advocate, quiet disruptor and for being a tireless advocate for social change.
Ivanna’s work and leadership are guided by her commitment to disrupt systems that continue to marginalize Black and Brown girls. Ivanna co-led the Personal Reflections for Girls session.
Sabrina Tirachin is a Lead Educator at The Possibe Zone. Prior to joining TPZ, Sabrina worked as the Director of Online Learning during the pandemic. As a Lead Educator, she spearheaded the creation of an online learning program for students and professional development pathway for teachers. After a year of intense program management, Sabrina excitedly returned to the classroom as a STEM Teacher and began building curriculum, iterating lessons, and guiding students through project-based learning in a Makerspace / Fabrication Lab setting. She is excited to bring her teaching, technology, and non-profit work experiences to TPZ and continue to grow alongside her students. Sabrina co-led the Networking & Storytelling workshop.
Royce Veal is a passionate entrepreneur who enjoys mentoring young people in the art building and growing successful businesses across various industries. With wealth of experience, he is committed to helping the next generation of entrepreneurs achieve their dreams and reach their full potential. His mission: Using the knowledge I’ve acquired while building my own legacy, I want to help others unlock their full potential and take control of their career. No two businesses are the same and that’s why I bring personalized value to each of my students based on their needs. Royce co-led the Monetizing Your Skills workshop.
VENDORS:
Local entrepreneurs who exhibited and sold their products were:
KQ Buttas | Jaleel Draws | HausOfRoses | Modern Party Art | MVP Media
ORGANIZERS:
the chica project | Center for Women & Enterprise | Love Your Magic | City of Boston Office of Youth Engagement and Advancement | The Possible Zone