Three final businesses have made it to the NFTE Greater Los Angeles finals May 22nd! These young entrepreneurs are competing to win seed money and continue on the #roadtonationals in #NewYorkCity October 16th. Digital Correspondent Sarah Strackhouse News reports on the steps NFTE is taking to kickstart the #entrepreneurialmindset!

Antonia Castro – Alumni Council Vice President of NFTE LA Metro
Kim Small – Director of NFTE LA Metro
Leo Gestetner – Chairman of NFTE LA
Maynard Brown – Teacher, Founder of NFTE LA

STUDENTS AROUND THE COUNTRY ARE COMPETING IN A CHANCE TO TAKE THEIR BUSINESS FROM AN IDEA TO A PRODUCT WITH FINANCIAL BACKING.

NFTE or THE NETWORK FOR TEACHING ENTREPRENEURSHIP, CHALLENGE IS WELL UNDERWAY IN DIFFERENT REGIONS IN THE U-S …AND IN LA, ALUMNI COUNCIL Vice President ANTONIA CASTRO SAYS, SHE UNDERSTANDS THE FEELING.

TONI – I have come full circle. So I actually took the program back in when I was in high school in 2013, and I went all the way to Nationals

CREATING A HEAT RESISTANT BREATHABLE SLIP RESISTANT SLEEVE WHICH SHE SOLD TO RESTAURANTS, HAIR STYLISTS, AND AIRPLANE ENGINEERS WAS JUST ONE OF THE BENEFITS OF JOINING THE PROGRAM.

TONI – I grew up just where these students have grown up in communities that have a lot of barriers and a lot of violence gangs drugs. We literally lived right next door to a drug lord who was kicked down by SWAT maybe every two to three months, and for us growing up that was normal. But you realize that’s not normal. That’s not something that a lot of our students should be seen but they do 4 I would not be the person that I am if it wasn’t because of NFTE.

KIM – The importance of creating economic wealth and stability in our community and not looking for others to bring it in but taking charge of our future. It’s urgent and the community needs to get involved and the community needs to back with the students are doing and encourage them and help them with the resources.

PROGRAM DIRECTOR KIM SMALL SAYS SHE SEES THE SENSE OF OWNERSHIP AND PRIDE NFTE INSTILLS IN THESE STUDENTS.

KIM – It’s so exciting. We’ve got such great kids and the confidence that they exude from going through the NFTE program has been inspiring and definitely show-stopping.

LEO – You know, I always say to people we in the end what we’re really teaching Is how to think differently and how to have confidence that’s why our graduates earn on average 50 percent more than their classmates. If you get the right start from now, it makes a difference for the rest of their lives.

IN JUST OVER 30 YEARS NFTE HAS REACHED MORE THAN A MILLION STUDENTS AROUND THE WORLD. ITS ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM IS NOW IN THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. ONE OF THE LA NFTE FOUNDING TEACHER’S, MAYNARD BROWN, SAYS HE’S PROUD TO BE A PART OF THAT.

MAYNARD If you can reach one, you’ve changed a life, and in that one, it’s kind of like you throw a pebble out into a lake and you watch the ripple effect. What we’ve been able to do is to think more about enhancing their future through a mindset that whether they own a business or work, that they can make a significant contribution.

CASTRO SAYS THE RIPPLE EFFECT IS REAL.

TONI I have a four-year-old baby boy. He was diagnosed with minor Down syndrome when he was born, and to me, he is my biggest passion, my motivation, the love of my life. He is the reason that I do all these things, and it is just so amazing to be impactful. There’s a big insight here in the entrepreneurship world, and there’s such a big movement going on with people who have disabilities and introducing them to the entrepreneurial world and letting them know that they can have a successful and fulfilling life through entrepreneurship through selling, through their charisma, and there are all these now social enterprises that are creating job opportunities for kids and people who have a disability.

NFTE’s ENTREPRENEURSHIP CURRICULUM IS NOW IN THOUSANDS OF COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS AND PUBLIC, PRIVATE AND CHARTER SCHOOLS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. LA CHALLENGE FINALS IS MAY 22ND, THEN THE WINNERS CONTINUE ON THE ROAD TO NATIONALS.

FOR REAL NEWS I’M SARAH STRACKHOUSE.

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