2023-2024 YEAR IN REVIEW
VYEF programs are free to educators and high school students, empowering them with new entrepreneurial business skills.
New Programs
Thinkfest
DesignIS: Change
Stock Market Challenge
The event hosted 250 students who worked in teams of four or five to buy and sell shares in fictional companies. The teams had $1,000,000 of “mock stock” to use throughout a 60-day trading period with new days starting every 60 seconds.
Before the challenge, students learned investing, saving, and team-building skills by completing Junior Achievement’s five in-class lessons.
thinkBIG! Challenge
VYEF Skill Building Workshop Day
Green Light Improv: Step into a world where new ideas are celebrated, new experiences are embraced, and adaptability is second nature. Imagine a group that values everyone’s input, adapts quickly to new information, and seeks out change.
Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce: In 2008, At the age of 15, Shaker Heights native Ethan Holmes launched “Holmes Mouthwatering” with his grandfather’s applesauce recipe and ambitious dreams of entrepreneurial success.
Mas LaRae: Alysha L. Ellis, MBA is a serial entrepreneur, ecosystem builder, author, and creator. In 2020, she developed Mas LaRae, a multimedia platform aiming to share, connect and inspire through storytelling, uplifting underrepresented voices, and intentional relationship building. Since then she has helped share over 200 stories.
BRITE with Lucas King: As the Startup Experience Specialist at BRITE, Lucas is responsible for ensuring early-stage energy technology companies are prepared to move forward with creating long-term sustainable businesses.
Hackathon
thinkBIG! Summit
The fireside chat was moderated by Alysha L. Ellis, MBA. She is the CEO and founder of Mas LaRae, a multimedia platform aiming to share, connect and inspire through storytelling, uplifting underrepresented voices, and intentional relationship building.
Attendees participated in a mini-maker hackathon led by Upcycle Parts Shop! Each table of students worked in teams to craft physical representations of innovative ideas made from recycled materials and create a 60-second pitch to describe their ideas. Finalist teams were chosen to present their ideas to audience members and a panel of judges for a chance to win prizes.
Ariana Smith, Educational Engagement Manager at The City Club of Cleveland served as the emcee of thinkBIG! Summit.
Local entrepreneurs on the panel included:
Swish Goswami
Alisha Ellis
Matthew Stalder, Partner and Mentor at Youth Bee Works
The event concluded with the final six thinkBIG! Challenge teams pitching their ideas to three judges – Goswami, Ellis, and Stalder.
Innovation Track
First Place: Wild Wreck – Olmsted Falls High School
Elisabeth Flanagan, Eleeana Gates & Samantha Hoffman
Second Place: Good Chick – Laurel School
Small Business Track
First Place: Flashback – GlenOak High School
Second Place: Spark Motion – Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy
& Carson Weaver
Third Place: Clicker Cleats – Solon High School
Stock Market Challenge
The event hosted 250 students who worked in teams of four or five to buy and sell shares in fictional companies. The teams had $1,000,000 of “mock stock” to use throughout a 60-day trading period with new days starting every 60 seconds.
Before the challenge, students learned investing, saving, and team-building skills by completing Junior Achievement’s five in-class lessons.