Young Entrepreneurs Academy
Changing Entrepreneurial Education For Kids Who Mean Business.
Greater South Bay (Los Angeles) Students in Grades 6-12
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking national program that transforms students in grades 6–12 into real entrepreneurs. The program was founded in 2004 and operates in partnership with Chambers of Commerce across the U.S. The Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce has hosted the program since 2011 and holds classes at Mira Costa High School on Wednesday evenings from October through April.
The Manhattan Beach chapter provides a rigorous 24-week curriculum where students conceive, plan, and launch their own businesses. Throughout the course, students engage with business mentors, hear from local leaders in areas such as law, accounting, marketing, banking, and e-commerce, and tour local business facilities.
Each student is paired with a local business mentor to guide them through the business planning and development process, business plans are reviewed by professionals, and the program culminates in a formal Investor Panel event, where students pitch their businesses to local investors to compete for real start-up funding.
Sponsors of the 2025 program include Kinecta Federal Credit Union, the Manhattan Beach Rotary, Chevron, the City of Manhattan Beach, Manhattan Beach Unified School District, and Manhattan Repro Printshop.
Meet the YEA! 2025 Winners
Lili Shaer with HipDigz, a volleyball shorts with padding to protect players from bruising. Lili made it to the top 6 competitors at the national competition, the Saunders Scholars Awards.
Simon Uslaner with The Nyft Strip, a magnetic bag closure that keeps food fresh and air tight.
Meet the 2025 YEA! Mentors
Chad Ahrens
Jennifer Berlinger
Jason Berlinger
Ira Goldstone
Sean Goodell
Desiree Dexter Brown
Davina Kent
Chris Krause
Toni Lee
Tony Rogondino
Maricel Rocha
Eliza Shah
Paresh Shah
Patricia Schilling
Kathleen McBride
Kurt Ritter
Maggie Miller
Alka Sharma
Groundbreaking Program
Founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation, the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a groundbreaking and exciting program that transforms local middle and high school students into real, confident entrepreneurs. Through the year-long program, students in grades 6-12 generate business ideas, conduct market research, write business plans, pitch to a panel of investors, and launch their very own companies.
- Meets for 24 Weeks (October - May). Includes at least 1 field trip.
- Held on Wednesdays 4:30 PM - 7:30 PM at Mira Costa High School (Manhattan Beach).
- Supported by 50 entrepreneurial professionals, including CEO Roundtable.
- Culminates in Investor Panel ("Shark-Tank"). Opportunity to win seed money.
- Investor Panel Winner may be invited to National Saunders Competition.
- Registration Fees: $20 Application. $995 Tuition (24-Week Program). YEA! Scholarship Application YEA Class of 2025 - 2026
Student Eligibility
Eligible students are motivated and self-starting 6th-12th graders who either live in or attend school in the Greater South Bay of Los Angeles, California:
- The Beach Cities & Palos Verdes Peninsula: El Segundo, Manhattan Beach, Hermosa Beach, Redondo Beach, Torrance, Rolling Hills, Rolling Hills Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes
- The Southernmost Neighborhoods of the City of Los Angeles: Harbor City, Harbor Gateway, San Pedro, Wilmington
- Inland cities of the South Bay: Hawthorne, Gardena, Lawndale, Lomita, Carson, Inglewood
- Unincorporated areas of L.A. County: Del Aire, Other small unincorporated "county strip" areas of Los Angeles County
Contact: YEAmb@manhattanbeachchamber.com
Easy Application
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a life-changing program, which positively impacts students and the entire community alike. From exciting local business mentors and guest lecturers to dynamic field trips to local companies, students learn how to develop and run an actual enterprise in a fun, project-based approach. Simply complete the YEA! Application Form and pay the nominal Application Fee. Upon application review, students may be contacted for an interview. Upon acceptance, students will be guided to complete the registration process.
Contact: YEAmb@manhattanbeachchamber.com
Meet the YEA! 2024 Winner
Maia Rocha 11th grader at Mira Costa High School, took home the 1st Place award with her business Doing Done. She demonstrated exceptional innovation and entrepreneurial spirit, Maia was awarded a start-up investment of $1,700 for her productivity application, Doing Done. Her outstanding presentation and business concept also earned her the prestigious role of representing her class at the upcoming Saunders Scholars competition in Rochester, New York this May. Check out Maia's Doing Done app
Meet the YEA! 2023 Winner
Lila Mokhtari from Manhattan Beach, 9th grader at Mira Costa High School, took home the 1st Place award with her business Maji. It can be found at www.majisoap.com. She takes home a $30,000 Scholarship to the Rochester Institute of Technology, a full tuition scholarship to the Golisano Institute, and a $5,000 cash prize.
Testimonial
"My son has had so many great educational experiences in MBUSD, but the one I wouldn't trade for the world is Young Entrepreneurs Academy. In a few short months I saw a 12 year old develop an understanding of business that most of us don't comprehend until adulthood. He now speaks comfortably about how products are designed, businesses are built, and ideas are transformed into sources of income. To this day he collaborates and presents ideas confidently with industry professionals (more than 2x to 3x his age) as he continues to build the ReptileRovers.com brand. The instructors and mentors at YEA both informed and inspired him in a way that has forever changed his life for the better. It has been an invaluable opportunity and one that every parent should encourage their child to explore."
Lara Nurre - Parent
YEA! Mission
Develop and deliver experience-based entrepreneurship programs to young people to:
- Enable them to transition successfully to adulthood
- Help them to pursue their dreams by harnessing their creativity and energy
- Help them transform their ideas into tangible enterprises that create economic and social value for a better world
- Develop the character of tomorrow’s leaders based on personal principles and values
- Enable educational institutions and Chambers of Commerce to provide successful and effective entrepreneurship programs for middle and high school students;
- Create a culture of innovation in schools and communities across the nation
- Foster the entrepreneurial mindset in young people, educators, and community members.
Meet the YEA! Team
Rachel Thomas - YEA! Instructor
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Ms. Thomas has been the instructor for the Manhattan Beach YEA! program since 2015, and has been an English teacher at MBUSD since 2000. She enjoys her students, her dogs, traveling, reading, connecting with friends and family, and trying to make jokes.
Phone: (310) 722-6962
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Ro Schreiner - YEA! Program Support
Mrs. Schreiner has been Program Support for the YEA! program since 2020. She comes to us after a 50+ year career teaching at MBUSD. She is very active in the Manhattan Beach community, loves to travel, and just came back from South Africa. She tried to step back from the program but can't because it's just too fun.
Email: yeamb@manhattanbeachchamber.com
Phone: (310) 294-7663
Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce - YEA! Program Manager
Contact: YEAmb@manhattanbeachchamber.com
Phone: 310.545.5313
Application Deadline for 2025-2026: September 17, 2025