The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is an exciting year long class that transforms middle and hig
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting year long class that transforms middle and high school students into real, 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 socia
06/25/2025
Dwayne recently won a 1 year membership to the Greater Utica Chamber! Yesterday they had a ribbon cutting to congratulate him 🎀✂️
We’re so proud of him and his successes 👏🏽 THIS is the result of entrepreneurship!
06/23/2025
New page for Utica Teens in Action- go follow to stay up to date with all his recent projects!
05/08/2025
The class of 2025 has graduated! Congratulations to the newest group of young entrepreneurs, who spent the school year with us learning about every aspect of starting a business, doing TONS of work and confidently pitching their businesses to investors. We celebrated together at thINCubator and relaxed now that (most!) of the hard work is done!
Give them a like... they all worked very hard this year!
05/08/2025
YEAH, YARA!!!! Congrats to the owner of Floever and (recent!) 2025 graduate Yara Liriano for being spotlighted as a Utica Gem by the Utica City School District!
05/02/2025
Tomorrow at 11am!
Sophia Silchuk of Branching Bakery will be competing virtually at the 17th Annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy National Competition! She will be going up against young entrepreneurs from around the country in the first panel.
Saturday, May 3rd
Watch live and cheer her on from home on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kT3SmgOr_vg
04/24/2025
Our last class of the 2025 year! We had guest speaker Matt Nicholl from Solvay Bank tell us about banking as an individual and as a business.
We learned about different banking methods, credit cards, loans, and why it’s so important to to differentiate your business’ assets from your own. Thank you Matt! 💰🏦
We also took some time to decompress at the Utica Children's Museum!
Graduation is already next week, can you believe it?! 🧑🎓
04/14/2025
With generous, consistent support over the years, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy at Mohawk Valley Community College has been able to run successfully, give the students an exceptional experience, ease the financial burden on families for youth to take part in the program AND award students start-up funding for their businesses.
With much gratitude, we thank:
M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund at The Community Foundation
First Source Federal Credit Union
MVCC Foundation and Alumni
CNYhomepage WUTR Eyewitness News
Gabriel, Joseph & Lila Mandour Karam Fund
And a big thank you to our judges at last week's Investor Panel!
Jennifer Recchio – Owner of Two Hip Chicks Sliders
Kari Puleo – Executive Director, Greater Utica Chamber
Stephen J. Ventura – Retired Media Industry Executive
Chrisandra Recchio – Graphic Design Specialist, First Source Federal Credit Union
Steve Long – Vice President, &T Bank
04/13/2025
Investor Panel photos are in! What a great night with all student businesses receiving start up investments thanks for generous sponsors of the program.
This event is the culmination of our challenging year-long program where students come up with a business concept, complete a full business plan, enjoy guest speakers/mentors/field trips, get their brand identities created by professional designers and then put together their 5-minute pitch to compete for funds!
In addition to funding...
Sophia Silchuk of Branching Bakery will represent YEA MVCC at the Saunders Scholars National Competition on May 3.
Molly Southwick of Farmer's Touch Goat Milk Soap received a marketing package from the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce
Dwayne Pressley of Utica Teens in Action was awarded an annual membership to the Greater Utica Chamber of Commerce
Anita Wallace of Lip Gloss Poppin' will be seen on a TV segment with our friends from WUTR!
And both Jaylin Woodward and Min ya Naing of Seek Human Kindness clothing company were awarded a Presidential Scholarship to Mohawk Valley Community College.
BIG thank yous go out to the partners of our program:
The founding supporters and believers in YEA:
MVCC Foundation and Alumni
With us since the very beginning of YEA MVCC back in 2011:
M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund
First Source Federal Credit Union
Greater Utica Chamber
And also supporting students for many years:
Gabriel, Joseph & Lila Mandour Karam Fund
at The Community Foundation
Prize sponsor: WUTR Eyewitness News CNYhomepage
Location host: Integrated Community Alternatives Network (ICAN)
Photos taken by YEA alumni Lillie Ruth Photography!
04/10/2025
The Investor Panel was a great success! Thank you to everyone who came out to support. ⭐️
We couldn’t be more proud of our young entrepreneurs!
More pictures to come 📸
04/02/2025
ONE WEEK AWAY! It's our favorite event of the year... the one where all the students' hard work comes to a head!
Come cheer them on!
The public is welcome to join us for the YEA 2025 Investor Panel – students will pitch their businesses for five minutes each to win start-up funding, a Presidential Scholarship to MVCC, a marketing package and one-year membership to the Greater Utica Chamber and more!
THANK YOU to our long time supporters and believers in the lasting impact of teaching entrepreneurship to our youth!
M&T Bank/Partners Trust Bank Charitable Fund at the The Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties.
First Source Federal Credit Union
MVCC Foundation and Alumni
Greater Utica Chamber
WUTR/ CNYhomepage
| 4pm - 7pm |