Press Releases
May 18, 1998 |
Contact: Carolyn
Foy |
CED Grand Opening Includes Showcase of Young Entrepreneurs
Research Triangle Park, N.C.-A showcase of the area's future entrepreneurs will be a part of the Grand Opening of the new center for the Council for Entrepreneurial on May 20, 1998, from 3:30-4:30 p.m. Students from A.L. Stanback and C.W. Stanford Middle Schools in Hillsborough will showoff CED's pilot Future Entrepreneurs Program by displaying their business ideas as a part of the tour of the CED Entrepreneurship Center.
"CED's Future Entrepreneurs Program is a part of our efforts to stimulate entrepreneurial development," says CED Executive Director Monica Doss. "Studies have found that while 25% of kindergarten children exhibit entrepreneurial aptitude, only about three percent of high school seniors do. The goal of the program is to help stimulate the entrepreneurial spirit among students."
The showcase is a sampling of the second annual Future Entrepreneurs Expo held on April 29th at Stanback. The Expo is a "trade show" where students display their business ideas to classmates, community leaders, teachers and business people. The Expo is the culmination of a 12-week program sponsored by CED to help cultivate entrepreneurial aptitude among middle school students. Since January, two eighth grade classes from the two schools have been learning about starting a business and developing a business plan with the help of area entrepreneurs and MBA students. Each Monday, guest instructors from area businesses taught students how to find a business opportunity, how to conduct market research, the basics of finance and legal issues, and other elements of entrepreneurship.
Each Friday, a dedicated group of mentors-business professionals and MBA students-visited the schools to follow students' progress and guide them as they worked through their business ideas. The program also included field trips to area businesses such as Laser Image Corporate Publishing, Simply Delicious salad dressings, Sports Endeavors, and local banks for a hands-on experience in a work environment.
"Thirteen- and fourteen-year-old students produce a wide range of business ideas," says Kerstin Le Floch, CED youth program director. "In addition to a few beauty salons and day care centers, the students envision opening an on-line coffee shop at the Raleigh-Durham airport, selling educational board games, starting a mobile horse-grooming service, and launching a new record label. One team of students has designed a space-saving bed that can be collapsed into a table, while another makes custom signs out of wood or a synthetic material for homes or businesses. The displays are very professional-these kids are ready for business soon."
In addition to the Future Entrepreneurs display, the winners of the CED/BTI Young Entrepreneur Scholarship will be recognized at the entrepreneurial excellence awards ceremony later that evening during the Grand Opening celebration. Historically the Scholarship has provided two $1,000 scholarships to high school juniors or seniors: one for the best student-run business and one for a dream business plan. This year the judges added a third winner due to the high quality of the applications.
About CED
The Council for Entrepreneurial Development, located at the CED Entrepreneurship Center in Research Triangle Park, NC, was formed in 1984 to stimulate the creation and growth of high-impact companies in the greater Research Triangle region. CED provides education, mentoring and capital formation resources to new and existing high-growth entrepreneurs. CED sponsors annual conferences, seminars, workshops and monthly programs on entrepreneurial management and finance. CED also offers the FastTrac entrepreneurial training program, youth programs and other outreach programs.
CED is a private, non-profit organization and is the largest entrepreneurial support organization in the nation with more than 3,000 members representing 1000 entrepreneurial companies, financiers and professional firms.