Last weekend, the Mesa Mall was transformed into something different: a marketplace of student-owned businesses.
The annual Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) Trade Show gave local students the opportunity to showcase businesses they have spent months developing and preparing to launch.
Through the afternoon, shoppers stopped by booths to learn about products and services, ask questions, and engage directly with student entrepreneurs.
For the students, it represented the culmination of months of work and growth. Unlike a classroom presentation, the Trade Show places students in a real-world environment. Students must introduce themselves to strangers, explain their products and services, answer questions, and communicate the value of their business in real time. They learn what it feels like to stand behind something they created themselves and share it with the public.
Throughout the YEA! program, students work alongside local business leaders, mentors, investors, and guest speakers while learning how to develop business plans, market their ideas, solve problems, and bring a concept to life. Along the way, they gain confidence, strengthen communication skills, and develop an entrepreneurial mindset that will serve them long after the program concludes.
This week, the YEA! class celebrates graduation and the completion of another successful year. While the Trade Show provides an opportunity for the community to see the students’ businesses firsthand, it also serves as a reminder of how much growth has taken place throughout the program.
The success of YEA! is also a reflection of the many local business leaders, volunteers, and community partner who invest their time in supporting these students each year.
When communities invest in young people, the return extends far beyond a single event. It strengthens the future workforce, future business community, and future leadership of Mesa County. And last week, that future was on full display.
Click here to learn more about YEA!.