The Small Business Administration (SBA) is currently driving an initiative designed to address the alarming youth unemployment rates and empower young people to pursue and execute their ideas. The Young Entrepreneur Summit (YES) occurred at the newly updated Chicago Federal Reserve Conference Center in late March.
Summit attendees varied vastly from young people with ideas to seasoned business owners. The program was divided into three panels, with some sincere wins and some definite misses. Personal panelist favorites of mine included Nick Farina of Jetzet, Shradha Agarwal of Context Media, and Ed Suda & Avelo Roy of eMotion Group.
Quick memorable tips from the summit:
- Think of your venture as a symphony, instead of a lot of noise. Things need to be in line with your purpose.
- Know what you don't know.
- Thought leadership is the next best kept secret, have a distinct voice within your market.
- Pricing your product has everything to do with your ability to leverage strategically.
Marianne Markowitz (SBA Regional Administrator), Judith Roussel (SBA Illinois District Director), Mark J. Hands (Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago, Supplier Diversity Program Manager), and Ida Manning (Illinois Institute for Entrepreneurial Education Director) were key in making the event a success. Learn more about the SBA Young Entrepreneur Resources here. <<Thinking Black Girl>>
