Kids use financial life skills to create, sell their own products after entrepreneurship program
Young entrepreneurs sell their own products created in amazing 6-week program
Young kids took a 6-week entrepreneur program through the Marina Anderson Recreation Center where they learned how to create a bunch of their own products which they got to sell during a pop-up shop event Thursday. Check it out!
PHILADELPHIA - "The I AM BUMI entrepreneur program is one of the programs we bring into the schools and into the community to show children how to start their own business," said Oshunbumi Fernandez West, Founder of I.AM.BUMI. Entrepreneur Program.
The six to eight-week free program at the Marian Anderson Recreation Center gave the kids the skills to become entrepreneurs in their own right.
The young entrepreneurs opened up a pop-up shop to sell their products to the community.
"It’s so important because we want to keep the children busy. We’re living in a community where children don’t have that many options for what they can do," said the founder.
The program alone creates life-changing options for youth like 12-year-old Shylah Nixon, who started her own lip gloss business.
"It’s been really good. It’s really fun. You get to speak to guest speakers on how to set up your business. How to invest," said Nixon. "My lip gloss company is called Plump and Juicy. I love lip gloss and I love for my lips to look good. I don’t like when people get dry lips, so I hope to help people."
The program also aims to teach kids early on about financial literacy.
The I.AM.BUMI.entrepreneurship program has been underway for over 25 years and has made an impact, teaching kids how to sustain and run a business.
"To one of the kids I said let’s talk about a bank and the kids started naming check-cashing places. I said there’s a need for this kind of program."
They are teaching and guiding them from a concept stage to a marketable product.
"Start by creating a name, choose a logo, create their own logo. We have experts come in and talk about how to set up, finance a pop-up shop," said the founder.
Which is something 11-year-old Jackie Wilson, owner of this hair accessory business, says was super helpful.
"This program has taught me how to manage your money and how to like get people to buy your product," said Wilson. "It teaches you how to financially budget and prepare for your future."
The students are learning the ropes of business and finance early on for much success in the future for these bright stars.