Success Stories - YEA! Philadelphia

Students in rural India rarely studied English
beyond the 7th grade, which put them at a
disadvantage when they were in the market for
a job.
Ani’s solution was simple - hire a teacher in a
large city in India who speaks fluent English and
set them up with a webcam and a fax machine.
“Learning centers” were created in rural villages,
equipped with a laptop and a fax machine.
Students attend classes for 25 cents a month.
More than 100 students enrolled in Intel4India’s
first year.
Success Stories
Elishia Ortiz, CEO
Young & Fit
(http://youngandfit.biz/)
YEA! SUNY Geneseo Class of 2009
Obsessed with fitness and eating right, Elishia
turned her passions into a business enterprise
in YEA!. With the goal of making fitness fun
for students in grades 1-6, Elishia created a
healthy living video that includes healthy recipes,
in-class and gym exercises. Elishia’s goal is to
fight childhood obesity and to make fitness fun.
During YEA!, Elishia was able to sell her DVD
to the Geneseo School District, and began talks
with Wegmans and local health companies to
distribute her DVD. Elishia also signed a contract
with Wegmans, which now sells Young & Fit
dvds in 12 New York State locations!
In the summer of 2009, Elishia was invited to
Roseland Water Park to sell her DVD’s and to
demonstrate fitness on their main stage by
inviting visitors to join in on the fun!
In the fall of 2009, Elishia matriculated into RIT.
She continues to promote her Young & Fit DVD,
and is exploring additional ways to grow her
business. She is also committed to helping other
young entrepreneurs be able to start their own
businesses.
Eric Meyer, CEO
Spotlight Entertainment
(http://www.spotlightfilms.net/)
CEO, Young Scholar Adventures
(http://www.scholaradventures.com/)
YEA! University of Rochester Class of 2006
Eric enrolled in YEA! during his sophomore year
in high school and began his business empire.
Spotlight Entertainment began as a video
production company specializing in weddings,
corporate, and private events. Eric prided
himself in delivering a high-quality product with
a personal touch. After graduation Spotlight
Entertainment grew to include corporate and
resort video services, allowing Eric to travel from
the Bahamas to South Carolina.
Eric then created his second business, Young
Scholar Adventures (YSA). This company creates
educational summer enrichment opportunities
for students in their local areas. YSA began
on the SUNY Geneseo campus, and has since
grown to include locations in Manchester, NH
and New London, CT.
Eric began his sophomore year at the University
of Rochester in September 2009 where he
was the recipient of the University’s Frederick
Douglass and Susan B. Anthony Awards and
one of 100 young entrepreneurs nationwide to
receive a scholarship award from the McKelvey
Foundation. Eric requested, and was granted,
a single room on campus, which enables him
to run both of his businesses while attending
school full time.
In 2009, Ani began his sophomore year in high
school and has over 500 students enrolled
in Intel4India. He plans to create additional
learning centers across rural India. Ani and his
accomplishments were featured in Success
Magazine, Newsweek and GVParent Magazine.
Kerry Huang, CEO
Scent-sations
(http://scentsationsjewelry.com)
YEA! University of Rochester Class of 2008
Trevor Burns, CEO
Spirited Sweets
Founder, TextSmart
(www.textsmart.org)
YEA! University of Rochester Class of 2006
Trevor has been able to take what he learned
in YEA!, and create a social movement with
an action plan! As an eighth grader, Trevor
joined YEA! to learn more about the business
world. He and his business partner created
Spirited Sweets, a company that provided candy
with customized wrappers for school and work
events to promote unity and school/work spirit.
Trevor and his partner continued their business
for several months after graduation but bigger
ideas came along.
In 2007, Trevor created what was to be a two
week public relations campaign for DECA-“Don’t Text and Drive.” The campaign grew,
however, when Trevor decided to use his YEA!
materials and drafted a full-scale business
plan. He gathered volunteers and investors,
created promotional products, and organized
an assembly that featured Senator Jim Alesi and
Rochester District Attorney Mike Green. Trevor’s
campaign took first place at the NY State DECA
competition. Trevor remains committed to the
campaign, and has created a website, TextSmart,
to spread the message of phone safety and
etiquette.
In September of 2009, Trevor began his
senior year of high school, and hopes to study
entrepreneurship in college.
Ani Patel, CEO
Intel4India
YEA! University of Rochester Class of 2007
Ani has been able to enact social change in
India! As a seventh grader in YEA!, Ani had
just recently come back from a trip to India
with his family. He was struck by the inequity
of education in rural India versus urban India.
Kerry came to YEA! with a problem. Her
perfume did not last the entire day. The
solution—a perfume charm pendant that
gradually releases your perfume’s scent over
the course of a day (similar to an airfreshener).
Kerry and her partners, with the help of
their instructor, reached out to an overseas
manufacturer to create the pendants and
charms.
Scent-sations has perfected two prototypes
and has received its initial shipments of 100
pendants, which are currently for sale. In 2009
Kerry began her sophomore year in high school,
and has been interviewed by the New York
Times and the nationally syndicated TV series
BizKid$. She credits YEA! with helping her
develop real–life skills and teaching her how to
be a leader.
Joe Bragg, CEO
Bragg’s Fine Swine
(http://fineswines.blogspot.com/2009/02/
picture.html)
YEA! SUNY Geneseo Class of 2009
Joe was always interested in farming, and was
able to start Bragg’s Fine Swine while a student
in YEA! Joe raises healthy, vaccinated, freerange pigs. His pigs are not caged, which allows
for the meat to be more tender. Once the pigs
are full grown, Joe sells them with recipes, and
information on local butchers.
To date, Joe has sold over half of his initial
piglets and traveled to Indiana to purchase an
additional 60 piglets. Joe plans to eventually
increase his revenue by breeding his own pigs
and receiving his license to butcher. A seventh
grader, Joe is saving the money from his
business to apply towards college. He says that
YEA! helped him to earn the money to start his
business and provided him with the knowledge
that he needs to keep it running.
www.yeausa.org • (585) 272-3535
John Johnson, CEO
Running Wild Paintball
(http://runningwildpaintball.com/)
YEA! SUNY Geneseo Class of 2008
John Johnson was already one of only 500 certified master air smiths in the nation
when he joined YEA! Master air smiths are trained by the Paintball Training
Institute, and certified in all aspects of paintball—from repair to regulations.
Through YEA!, John created a website that promotes and sells paintball products
and services, as well as offers repairs to paintball equipment. John also opened a
paintball field in Nunda, NY.
In September 2009, John began his sophomore year at SUNY Geneseo and
continues to run his website and his paintball field from his dorm room. He is
earning his degree in Business Administration, and plans to grow and maintain his
business after graduation.
Sheel Tyle, CEO
Holiday Helpers
YEA! University of Rochester Class of 2006
Along with three partners, Sheel began Holiday Helpers while a student in YEA!
Holiday Helpers created the Holiday Helpers Clip, which allowed people to easily
hang decorative lights on indoor or outdoor surfaces.
Holiday Helpers did not continue after the class, but Sheel was able to take what
he learned, and apply it. Sheel graduated from high school a year early, and
enrolled in Stanford University. In 2008, he was appointed to the Obama-Biden
Health Policy Advisory Committee, and also works with Secretary of Defense
William Perry on the Preventive Defense Program. Sheel is the founder of two
non-profit companies, consults with energy startups and venture capital firms, and
has been recognized by USA Today, the Coca-Cola Company, and many more.
Habibe Hakiqi, CEO
Bubble Tea Mania
YEA! University of Rochester Class of 2005
Habibe and her partners started Bubble Tea Mania while in YEA! This business
provided kits of bubble tea to local schools, and trained them on the preparation
and marketing. The tea allowed the schools to make a profit.
Bubble Tea Mania closed its doors shortly after the academy ended, but Habibe
matriculated into the University of Rochester as a double major in Economics and
Political Science. Habibe has led a distinguished college career—she was a Hajim
Scholar, was elected to Phi Beta Kappa and the International Economics Honor
Society, and was the recipient of the Young Women of Distinction Award, among
others. In 2008, Habibe was accepted into the Harvard Business School, where
she plans to attend in 2010 and earn her MBA. She credits the experience of
being a young entrepreneur as one of the reasons that she was accepted—she
even focused her essay and her admissions interview on her YEA! experience.
www.yeausa.org
(585) 272-3535