High School Entrepreneurs Win Award
The Future of Small Business report identified how entrepreneurship is increasingly taking place at the edges. For instance, businesses are being started by older entrepreneurs (Baby Boomers) and also by younger entrepreneurs (Generation Y, ages 5 to 25).
To see an example of the trend toward ever younger entrepreneurs, go no further than the SAGE program, where high school students start businesses and compete for a global award.
SAGE — Students for the Advancement of Global Entrepreneurship — is an entrepreneurship program that pairs up high school student groups with advisors from universities and businesses. The students get startup funding grants of up to $1000 per group and start a business. Then they compete for an award.
Last week eight high school teams went to New York City and competed to be the United States SAGE champion. Students from Northwestern Lehigh High School, in New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, took the top honors as the USA SAGE champions. They started a parfait and lollipop business and made $1,500 the first year, impressing the judges.
Second place went to last year’s defending national champion from Santa Monica High School in Southern California, while third place went to Benicia High School in Northern California. All 3 teams are pictured in the photo (click for a larger image).
The first-place Pennsylvania team will go on to represent the United States at SAGE World Cup in Odessa, Ukraine.
The SAGE program also combines another trend — social entrepreneurship. The high-school teams are judged on entrepreneurship, community outreach, civic engagement, environmental responsibility, use of college mentors and use of a business advisory board.
SAGE was founded by Curt DeBerg, a business professor at California State University, Chico in 2002, and is staffed by Chico State alumni and students. SAGE is now operating in 12 countries. SAGE is a partner with Youth Venture, which is a Virginia-based international youth organization that promotes social entrepreneurship.
Hat tip to David Powers of GotVMail, a sponsor of SAGE USA. David served as a judge of the event and sent me the photo and information.
May 31st, 2007 at 9:45 pm
Our future Entrepreneurs! How great is this. What a great program. My “Congradulations” to all students involved. I also would like to tip my hat to Mr. David Powers and the Sage program.
August 13th, 2007 at 12:13 am
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