Youth Business Alliance

Happy Juneteenth!

Career journeys are rarely a straight line, and our students got to hear exactly why.

Thank you to Melissa Palarea for serving as a virtual guest speaker at Ánimo City of Champions Charter High School (Green Dot Public Schools) and sharing her journey from starting as an intern at The White House to later working at the NBA.

She encouraged students to embrace unique experiences, build meaningful relationships, and not be afraid if they don't have their future figured out yet. Her story showed students that careers evolve over time and that every experience can help shape the next opportunity.

A huge thank you to Kelley and Clandestine Events & Experiences for providing YBA's Sports and Business for Youth students (Animo Compton Charter School) with paid work experience and a visit to NBA All-Star Weekend!

YBA aims to provide students with opportunities like this, where they can apply their career-readiness skills in real-world settings.
Once again, thank you to Clandestine Events for trusting our students and providing them with an invaluable experience.

Students at Rise Kohyang High School recently participated in a Shark Tank Coaching Session, where volunteer mentors listened to business pitches and provided constructive feedback to help students strengthen their ideas and presentations.
With the Shark Tank competition just around the corner, students are refining their pitches, building confidence, and preparing to present their business concepts to a panel of judges.
A special thank you to our volunteers for sharing their time, expertise, and encouragement with our student entrepreneurs. We can't wait to see these ideas come to life!

On June 5, Youth Business Alliance partnered with Animo Oscar De La Hoya Charter High School to host Mock Interviews for 11th-grade students. Students had the opportunity to practice their interview skills, receive valuable feedback from professionals, and gain confidence as they prepare for future academic and career opportunities.
A special thank you to our incredible volunteers and our community partners for sharing their time, expertise, and encouragement with our students. We also extend our gratitude to Jose Ramirez and the Animo Oscar De La Hoya team for helping make this event possible.
Together, we're helping students build the skills and confidence they need to succeed in college, careers, and beyond.

Aloha YBA supporters!

YBA students from Gardena High School (Los Angeles Unified School District) recently visited King's Hawaiian Bakery in Torrance, where they got an inside look at how their famous bread is made from scratch. The experience felt like a real-life episode of How It's Made as students suited up for a factory tour, sampled fresh bread, and even had the opportunity to meet CEO Mark Taira.

The visit was truly unforgettable, and the amazing culture at King's Hawaiian made a lasting impression on everyone. We are incredibly grateful for this experience and hope it marks the beginning of a strong and lasting partnership. A huge thanks to Eric, Alyctra, and the entire philanthropy committee for making it happen!

Mahalo, King's Hawaiian, for inspiring the next generation!

What does it take to turn your interests into a career?

Students at Stella High Charter Academy recently had the opportunity to hear directly from professionals across a variety of industries during a Career Panel. Through open conversations and student-led questions, panelists shared their educational journeys, career experiences, challenges they've overcome, and advice for pursuing future goals.
A special thank you to our volunteer panelists for investing in the next generation and to Christie Romero, Christian Risquez, Jesus Ramirez, and the Stella High Charter Academy team for their partnership and support.
By connecting students with real-world professionals, we're helping them explore new possibilities and envision their future with greater clarity and purpose.

What an inspiring evening at the 2026 Youth Business Alliance Spring Soiree Awards & Scholarship Celebration!

Together, we celebrated the incredible people who make our mission possible—teachers, volunteers, partners, board members, parents, and students—all united by a shared commitment to helping young people achieve their biggest dreams.

This year, YBA proudly served 2,500 high school students, providing career readiness, business education, entrepreneurship experiences, and meaningful connections with professionals who help students see what's possible for their futures.

Congratulations to our outstanding award recipients:
🏆 Volunteer of the Year – Eric Gutierrez, Preferred Bank
🏆 Teacher of the Year – Mr. Dibinga, New Designs Charter School
🏆 Classrooms to Careers Award – Ms. Green, LAUSD Santee Education Complex
🏆 Partner of the Year – Home Field Advantage, Sacha van der Most van Spijk & Giovanni Leguizamon
🏆 Innovation Partner of the Year – Linda Maldonado, CTBC Bank

A special congratulations to our 10 Apolonio "Paul" Gonzales IV Memorial Scholarship recipients, whose leadership, determination, and commitment to their futures inspire us all. We are honored to support the next chapter of their educational journeys.

We are deeply grateful to our volunteers, educators, and partners whose dedication proves that human connection, mentorship, and opportunity truly change lives.
Thank you to System1, Board President Beth Sestanovich, and Chrissy Fischer for graciously hosting this special celebration.

And thank you to the entire YBA team—Betsy Blanchard, Ethel Fimbres, Camille Carrion, Keith Morrow, Mina Jang, and Gabriella Duggal—for your passion and commitment to our students every day.

As YBA founder Mark Stagen often reminds us, "If you can see it, you can be it." We remain committed to ensuring every young person has the confidence, knowledge, and support needed to turn their dreams into reality.

A huge thank you to all of the amazing volunteers who joined us for today’s Resume Review event at Animo City of Champions High School! Your support, advice, and encouragement truly meant so much to our Dual Enrollment students. Taking the time to share your experiences and give personalized feedback helped students feel more confident and excited about their future opportunities.

Events like this would not be possible without people willing to invest their time and energy into supporting the next generation, and we are so grateful for each and every one of you. Thank you for helping make today such a meaningful and successful event!

The Youth Business Alliance wishes all the amazing moms, grandmothers, guardians, and mother figures a very Happy Mother’s Day! We appreciate all that you do today and every day.