The Greater Pensacola Chamber, Global Business Solutions, Inc. (GBSI), and the University of West Florida (UWF) College of Business are hosting an information session for students and parents about the Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) at 5 p.m. on Oct. 6, 2015 at the Greater Pensacola Chamber, 117 W. Garden St. YEA! is a national educational program designed to empower students to start successful businesses.

YEA! participants in grades 6-12 in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties will work closely with local business leaders to cultivate and research business ideas and to write business plans. Upon completion of the program, students will pitch their plans to a panel of investors.

The program runs from Nov – April, meeting on Tuesdays from 5 – 8pm.  Students don’t need a business idea before they start, the Academy will help them come up with one or tweak one they already have.

The students will then connect with mentors to write a business plan, prepare a pitch deck, and pitch their idea to a shark-tank like panel of investors.  Students will then get real funds they can use to build and prepare their product to sell at a trade show at the end of the year.  Following that, students can choose to incorporate and register, if they want to keep it going.

Student Application deadline is October 16, 2015.

If you know of a student who should be nominated, you can do so here:

https://yeausa.wufoo.com/forms/yea-student-nomination/

Students can also apply directly here:

http://yeausa.org/apply_today.php

In order to offset costs associated with running the program, the Chamber, GBSI and the UWF College of Business are also seeking sponsors to cover tuition scholarships for talented students who may not be able to participate for financial reasons. Benefits of sponsoring include the opportunity for company representatives to participate as a featured guest speaker and judge at the investor panel event, as well as recognition at, and invitations to, all YEA! signature events throughout the year.

For more information about YEA! or how to become a participant or program sponsor, visit PensacolaChamber.com/YEA or contact Kelly Reeser, Director of Entrepreneurial Development for Florida West, at (850) 696-1314 or at [email protected].