Celebrate Youth Entrepreneurship
Celebrate Youth Entrepreneurship 2025
Each Spring YEI hosts an event to Celebrate Youth Entrepreneurship! Entrepreneurship teaches students valuable life-long skills like problem-solving, creativity, collaboration, and so much more.
Monday, March 10 – Field Trip for 6-12th Grade Students
Join us for an unforgettable field trip where students will step into the role of a CEO. This opportunity is open to students in grades 6-8 and 9-12. Each grade band will have their own challenge and will work together with students from a variety of schools across Northeast Ohio to encourage collaboration and team building across diverse perspectives.
Students will be guided by an adult entrepreneur where they will be charged with developing new products to expand a fictional company’s market share.
- Dasia Taylor is a trailblazing STEAM advocate (M for medical technology), sneakerhead, and technology innovator who has been nationally recognized for her exceptional scientific achievements. As a high schooler Dasia gained national recognition for prototyping a suture capable of identifying developing infections, showcasing her innovative spirit and dedication to improving healthcare. Her journey has been widely shared across multiple national platforms, including The Ellen DeGeneres Show, PBS NewsHour, CNN, Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, and PEOPLE Magazine.
- Dominique Waters is the Founder and Executive Director of Akron Sneaker Academy. His journey in luxury fashion and working with renowned brands Louis Vuitton, Burberry, Nike, Tiffany & Co, and Lacoste taught him about the power of connection, the importance of identity, and the impact of mentorship. Those experiences, paired with a deep sense of purpose, ultimately inspired him to launch Akron Sneaker Academy—a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through the lens of sneakers, STEAM education, and personal development.
Thursday, March 13 – Educator Event
Details to be announced soon!