Young Entrepreneurs of America is expanding its programs in 2008 and you can help!

Young Entrepreneurs of America - Mentor ProgramAfter more than a decade of providing programs, mentors, and scholarships to jr. high and high school students interested in entrepreneurship, Young Entrepreneurs of America (YEA) is currently looking for experienced professionals and energetic young talent to help expand its programs.

YEA is actively seeking volunteers to drive the expansion of its programs in all geographic locations across the United States. There are two positions open for each expansion area, namely: Regional Director and City Manager.

All positions are part-time volunteers as YEA is an all-volunteer organization with no paid staff. Ideal candidates will have a solid first-hand experience with startup ventures and a strong desire to share their skills and experience with entrepreneurs and would-be entrepreneurs under the age of 19.

Regional Directors
This position will oversee YEA operations on a broader scale with local City Managers reporting activities within that region to the Regional Director. Duties include fundraising, recruiting mentors, and overseeing regional competitions such as Business Plan Competitions and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award. Regional Directors are expected to be experienced entrepreneurs / venture capitalists and/or angel investors who have strong entrepreneurial connections throughout their region. Directors will have significant leeway in providing and promoting YEA events within their region and are expected to devote a minimum of 5-10 hours to YEA each month. Regional Directors will also play significant roles in recruiting guest speakers and corporate sponsors for regional events like the Young Entrepreneur Summit. An ideal candidate would be a retired or semi-retired entrepreneur or business professional who enjoys working with teenagers and has significant experience in entrepreneurship as well as a broad personal network of entrepreneurially minded individuals.

City Managers
While similar to the Director position, City Managers will focus on a smaller geographic scale and will require slightly more legwork then the Regional Director position. Duties include some local fundraising but will mainly consist of developing key contacts and building a strong network of entrepreneurs, angel investors, venture capitalists, bankers, educators, and young entrepreneurs who are interested in serving as mentors / guest speakers for local YEA programs. The City Manager will be responsible for spearheading city-level competitions such as local Business Plan Competitions and local Young Entrepreneur of the Year nominees. This individual will also be responsible for planning and executing local events like our Summer Startup Program and our annual Young Entrepreneur Summit. Working with the Regional Director, this individual will be the face of YEA in his/her area and is expected to promote entrepreneurship among youth with an enthusiastic attitude while representing the high standards of YEA. The ideal candidate would be a young, upwardly mobile, energetic individual (possibly college student) who has some first-hand experience with entrepreneurship and a strong interest in meeting local entrepreneurs and building YEA’s local mentor base from entrepreneurs, investors, educators, key government officials, and other business professionals. This is a great way to meet key players in your area and provides amazing networking opportunities while giving back to your community and advancing your own understanding of entrepreneurship. City Managers are expected to dedicate a minimum of 10 hours per month networking and advancing YEA causes in your local community.

About Young Entrepreneurs of America
Young Entrepreneurs of America - 2007 SummitYEA provides information, resources and activities that lead to more frequent, more enjoyable, and more effective opportunities for jr. high and high school students to learn about entrepreneurship which will enable them to become successful, motivated entrepreneurs.

Our programs are designed to maximize interaction between successful entrepreneurs and students. The main objective is to provide students with first-hand information on real-world entrepreneurial experiences and give them a true taste of what entrepreneurship is about. We have many programs that are designed to help young entrepreneurs (under 18) start their own businesses including:

* National Business Plan Competition
* Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award
* Summer Startup Programs
* Young Entrepreneur Summit

For complete program information click here.

How to Apply
YEA welcomes applications from all interested individuals who would like to get more involved in their communities and help YEA continue to “educate and motivate the next generation of entrepreneurs.” Please submit a current resume along with a brief paragraph explaining how you think you could help YEA grow its programs in your area. Please include the city/region in which you would like to work as well as any work restrictions you may have. Please list any previous entrepreneurial or youth volunteer experience you may have had and a date when you would be available to begin working. All applicants are expected to have excellent communication skills, be self motivated, and have a passion for entrepreneurism and working with youth. Preference is given to individuals with previous entrepreneurship experience, extensive personal networks, and proven experience or interests with youth programs. As both positions require significant networking, applicants are encouraged to provide references and/or reach the organization’s Director Brian Acord via personal contact through Linked-In.

Applications may be sent to brian@yeabiz.com.
www.yeabiz.com

Please pass this information along if you know someone who might be interested in making a difference and getting involved in their area!