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Operation HOPE Denver is working with 10 Denver Public Schools to ignite students' entrepreneurial passion and teach them how to run their own business through their new initiative, HOPE Business In A Box (HBIAB). By bridging the connection between the real world and under-resourced schools, Operation HOPE’s HBIAB disrupts the linear way of thinking that is so engrained in our educational system. 

HOPE Business In A Box is a six phase project and tackles everything from the financials to pairing up students with business role models. The nonprofit relies on local entrepreneurs and business professionals to teach in-school class sessions as a part of the semester-long curriculum and to judge school-wide pitch events.

Since its launch in late 2012, this Operation HOPE initiative has graduated two young entrepreneurs who have since gone on to college while running their small business. Sabex is a young woman who launched Bright Colors, a clothing brand that uses African fabric from Sabex’s home country and produces contemporary and stylish clothing. Trevor, also an HBIAB young entrepreneur, created and currently runs Trevor’s Speedy Bike Repair out of his garage, where he repairs bikes at a reasonable price for the youth in his neighborhood.

Through this initiative, Operation HOPE is working to decrease the high school drop-out rate in Denver’s under-served communities while increasing the next generation’s accessibility to the resources they need in order to achieve their dreams.

If you're interested in helping out with the project, email the Denver Youth Empowerment Leader & Program Manager, MK Sagaria, at [email protected]