CORONADO, CALIFORNIA Eighteen-year-old Jerry Nutter is smiling a little brighter after winning a $1,000 American Express gift card in the #BecauseOfYEA! social media contest where he highlighted how the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) taught him to launch and run his own business, Hang 10 Shaved Ice, which has recorded $5,000 of sales in its first three weeks of operation.
The contest was open to YEA! students and alumni nationwide who were invited to submit a video that described their experience in the 30-week YEA! program that transforms middle and high school students into CEOs. Nutter beat out 34 other contestants by having the most liked and shared video.
Nutter is the founder and CEO of Hang 10 Shaved Ice, which he opened in June upon graduation of YEA!. Hang 10 operates inside of High Tide Bottle Shop and Kitchen in Coronado, California, San Diego County. The perfect complement to High Tide’s pizza and beverage offerings, Hang 10 sells premium, refreshing shaved ice in a variety of flavors. “We’re so proud of what Jerry has accomplished. He is a creative, hard-working business owner,” says Morgan Mackenzie, Program Manager of the YEA! class operated by the Coronado Chamber of Commerce.
Nutter says he plans to attend San Diego State University in the fall, a 15-minute drive from his business. He would like to thank Buzzoid for helping his social media campaign get enough buzz on Instagram to reach the explore page, from which point forward it took off.
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting class that teaches students in grades 6-12 how to become confident entrepreneurs. Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors, and actually launch and run their own real, legal, fully formed companies and social movements. Complete with dynamic guest speakers from the local business community and exciting behind-the-scenes trips to local companies, the fun, projects-based YEA! approach empowers students to take charge of their futures in a profound way.
“The Young Entrepreneurs Academy is not only a wonderful tool to teach students about business, but also a great way to build confident leaders with values. An excellent instrument to unify the business and educational communities, YEA! continues to expand across the country to fulfill our mission of teaching more students how to make a job, not just take a job,” says Gayle Jagel, Founder and CEO of YEA!
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About YEA!
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a 501(c)(3) offering groundbreaking year-long classes that teach middle and high school students how to start and run their own businesses. Throughout the class, students develop business ideas, write business plans, conduct market research, pitch their plans to a panel of investors, and launch and run their own real, fully formed companies and social movements. The project-based program includes guest speakers from the local business community and behind-the-scenes trips to local companies and empowers students to take charge of their futures.
Founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy today serves thousands of students nationwide. In 2011, the United States Chamber of Commerce Foundation became a national sponsor and partner of the Academy to help celebrate the spirit of enterprise among today’s youth and tomorrow’s future leaders.
YEA! bridges the business and educational communities to fulfill its mission of teaching more students how to make a job, not just take a job. YEA! is made possible by The Kauffman Foundation, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the E. Philip Saunders Foundation.
About the U. S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation is dedicated to strengthening America’s long-term competitiveness and educating the public on how the free enterprise system improves society and the economy.
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is the world’s largest business federation representing the interests of more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions, as well as state and local chambers and industry associations.
About Sam’s Club
Sam’s Club®, a division of Walmart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), is a leading membership warehouse club offering savings and benefits to millions of members in 651 clubs in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Sam’s Club offers affordable access to innovative benefits for families and small business owners, including travel, payroll and HR services, online marketing and legal solutions, cash rewards and more. To learn more about saving time and money with Sam’s Club, visitwww.SamsClub.com/benefits.
