Did you know that 72 percent of high school students say they want to start their own business someday? Student-powered ventures are popping up across the country because this generation is eager to make a difference.
Our Young Entrepreneurs Pilot Grants support youth-led business programs that are improving the way kids eat through gardening, plant-forward cooking or nutrition education. Our grants support kids to become entrepreneurs because the skills needed as a successful young business leader will benefit them for a lifetime.
We're so grateful to our sponsors, Hippeas, From the Ground Up, gimMe Snacks, Quinn Snacks, Cerebelly, Noops and Zack's Mighty, for supporting the next generation of trailblazers.
In September 2020, we announced the recipients of our first Young Entrepreneurs Grant Pilot aimed at supporting youth-led business programs that are improving the way kids eat through gardening, plant-forward cooking, or nutrition education. These grants have been made possible by our supplier sponsors.
Growing Leaders develops a college and career pathway for students from middle school through high school through gardening, cooking and food production. At Willard Middle School, students run a farm-to-fork business, producing bi-monthly meals for sale to the community. As part of The Berkeley Technology Academy Entrepreneurship Program, high school students deepen job readiness skills through the development and testing of their own food businesses.
Entirely student-run, this nonprofit food enterprise creates healthy and delicious products for the School District of Philadelphia Food Services and other area schools, while also inspiring and mentoring younger grades and equipping them with grant funding to be healthy food champions in their schools.
Roots for the Home Team gives teens opportunities for critical thinking, creative problem solving, resourcefulness and leadership. The nonprofit employs teens from garden-based educational programs around Minneapolis and St. Paul to hone their leadership skills by developing recipes and making and selling salads that feature produce from their gardens. Learn how the teens have been able to successfully harness these skills when faced with obstacles stemming from the pandemic.
We had the honor of inviting some of the best and brightest young entrepreneurs from across the country to share their insights, advice and experiences with others in our virtual “Dream Like a Teen” Young Entrepreneur Round Table. In this one-hour event, teen speakers from youth-led businesses and programs shared what it takes to start and succeed in business, including critical tips on how to adapt to new challenges and prioritize self-care.
Check out organizations we have invested in and been guided by in the past:
This group of young entrepreneurs grows vegetables in their community garden, bakes them into healthy vegetable-based desserts and markets them through sustainable practices. Their creations are sold for a profit with a portion of proceeds invested back into the community. Their program also creates youth empowerment opportunities for younger generations to follow their footsteps in their Heritage Park neighborhood. Learn more here.
The school’s Center for Work offers middle school students hands-on business experience through micro-economy projects using the bounty from the school’s on-site student-led garden and beehive, as well as partnerships with local restaurants to create valued-added products and run a monthly on-site cafe. Products include their herb bottles, popcorn seasoning, beeswax lip balm and honey.
Roots for the Home Team employs teens from various garden-based educational programs around Minneapolis and St. Paul to “find their roots” and hone their leadership skills by developing and selling salads at professional sports venues, including the Minnesota Twins’ stadium at Target Field. Much of the produce for the salads is grown by the teens in their garden programs.
School Food Matters’ Schools to Market program leads kids through the full farm to market experience throughout the course of the school year, deepening their knowledge of food production and selling. Students visit a local farm to harvest produce, turn it into a chutney or jam, conduct market research in their local Whole Foods Market store, develop marketing to sell their products, and finally sell them in a capstone market day.
While most of the Grow Dat produce is sold by youth employees at their farm stand, farmer’s markets, or their CSA (community supported agriculture) program, about 30% is donated to low-income residents through the Shared Harvest program.
With every empowering jar of jelly, the students have a chance to connect with the natural world, usher a food product from farm to table, become budding entrepreneurs — and carry on a legacy the community started by planting these gardens decades ago.
Every year, Youth Farm engages more than 1,500 youth and employs around 25 teens and five young adults as part of their Farm Stewards Program.
Bradley International School has run a profitable school farmers market since 2010! Neighbors discover they can buy a broad selection of food at competitive prices close to home, while also supporting their local school.
Learn how to support and encourage young entrepreneurial spirit. Get tips from D'Andra and Theo Ulmer, parents of 16-year-old business sensation and founder of Austin-based Me & the Bees Lemonade, Mikaila Ulmer, get the inside scoop from Veronica Robinson, mom and chief supporter of MasterChef Junior finalist, Evan Robinson and more!
The #WholeKidsBiz Sweepstakes was the first step in determining interest and support needed to help young entrepreneurs and school business programs and helped guide our pilot grant program. From garden-fresh produce to plant-based meals to recipes to get kids cooking, meet the next generation of young entrepreneurs helping to change the way kids eat.
Stay up to date on our grant programs and how our favorite schools and organizations are doing!
Stay up to date on our grant programs and how our favorite schools and organizations are doing!
