Youth Entrepreneurs

The Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership concludes that more than 65 percent of 14- to 19-year-olds are interested in starting a business as compared with about half of the general public. The Youth Entrepreneurs of Syracuse Conference brings together youth from Central New York ages 13-25 who have a passion for or an interest in entrepreneurship.

In a full-day conference tailored specifically to youth interested in becoming entrepreneurs, participants explore the unique obstacles, demands, and challenges that young people face in creating ventures. They are exposed to inspirational stories and advice from entrepreneurs who have successful ventures. Most importantly, they are presented with the tools, knowledge, and resources to make entrepreneurship a realistic goal for a young person.

Participants learn about the business world, and go beyond learning to recognize and act on their own intrinsic entrepreneurial potential. The first Youth Entrepreneurs of Syracuse Conference was held in Fall 2008. The program is expected to grow and to continue to educate and inspire the youth of Central New York to follow and fulfill their entrepreneurial dreams.

Resources for Youth Entrepreneurs of Syracuse:
College Startup
College Startup is a website that goes into the concept of making money from your dorm room. This site is very pertinent to college and high school students.

Collegiate Entrepreneurs' Organization (CEO )
CEO is an organization that supports college students seeking opportunities through enterprise creation. CEO has excellent resources, including annual conferences.

Entrepreneur U
Entrepreneur U has numerous resources and scholarship opportunities for young entrepreneurs.

Gen-X Idea Café
The Gen-X Idea Café is a source of inspirational stories designed to meet the needs of “Generation X” entrepreneurs.

Global Entrepreneurship Week
A week long global celebration of Entrepreneurship. Bring Entrepreneurship Week events to your area, or attend events already taking place.

Global Student Entrepreneur Awards (GSEA)
The GSEA awards $100,000 in startup cash and other services to young entrepreneurs.

IdeaBlob
Presented by Advanta, IdeaBlob allows users to vote for the best business ideas for $10,000 in startup capital.

Inc.’s Young Entrepreneur’s Survival Kit
Inc. Magazine has put together a number of resources designed to help launch young entrepreneurs, connections to academic programs, and information about successful student business owners.

Junior Achievement (JA)
JA is an organization spread throughout the country, dedicated to the education and expansion of understanding in business and economics for todays youth.

McKelvey Foundation
The McKelvey Foundation awards $40,000 in scholarships to young entrepreneurs.

Small Business Administration (SBA)’s Teen Business
The SBA teen business site offers lots of information to assist in launching a business. The site also includes games and stories, and offers information about acquiring SBA backed loans for young entrepreneurs.

Teen Entrepreneur
Teen Entrepreneur includes a number of resources for youth entrepreneurs who are dedicated to making successful companies

VenturePort
Online networking and resources connecting young entrepreneurs across the globe.

YoungBiz.com
YoungBiz shares entrepreneurship, business, and finance skills through real world experience for teens.

Young Money
Young Money includes articles and information for young entrepreneurs.

Youth Venture
Youth Venture includes information on starting entrepreneurial ventures, as well as success stories.