Empowering Undervalued Youth for a PATH to SUCCESS

Youth Entrepreneurship Is More than Business Creation . . ....

WHO WE ARE

Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program is a dynamic Youth Development initiative created by the Virginia Diverse Chamber of Commerce. Aligned with the chamber’s mission, vision, and purpose, our program aims to:

 

  • Serve as a dedicated support system and advocate for the diverse community of small businesses, including those owned by Black individuals, Hispanic individuals, Asian individuals, LBGTQ+IA individuals, Veterans, and Women entrepreneurs.
  • Promote and facilitate procurement opportunities, business development strategies, and enhanced operational capabilities for these underrepresented business owners.
  • Foster economic fairness and equity by empowering all entrepreneurs to thrive and succeed in their respective industries.

Through our comprehensive program, we strive to uplift and empower young entrepreneurs, equipping them with the necessary skills, resources, and networks to navigate the path towards success.

Virginia Diverse Chamber of Commerce is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt organization.

WHAT WE DO

The Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program offers a comprehensive range of learning opportunities, resources, and training to empower students and young adults. Through our platform, which includes a dedicated learning and resource website, we enable participants to:

1. Identify Local Solutions: We encourage students and young adults to identify and address challenges within their local communities. By fostering a problem-solving mindset, we empower them to become agents of change.

2. Business Plan Development: Our program guides participants in developing robust business plans. Through skill-building exercises and mentorship, we help them refine their ideas, analyze market viability, and design effective strategies for sustainable business ventures.

3. Launch Micro-Businesses: The Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program goes beyond theoretical learning. Participants have the opportunity to launch real micro-businesses, where they retain the revenues generated. This hands-on experience allows them to apply their knowledge in a practical setting and experience the rewards and challenges of running a business.

4. Real Impact: By empowering young entrepreneurs to launch real businesses, we enable them to make a tangible impact in their local communities. Their ventures have the potential to create jobs, address local needs, and contribute to the economic growth and development of their communities at the local, statewide, and even nationwide levels.

Through our program, participants gain valuable entrepreneurial skills, practical experience, and a platform to make a difference. We strive to foster a new generation of innovative and socially conscious business leaders who are equipped to tackle real-world challenges and drive positive change in their communities.
 
Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program is dedicated to promoting economic empowerment and fairness by bridging opportunity gaps for underrepresented young individuals aged 12 to 24 years old. Our focus is on serving youth in rural areas and traditionally underserved communities, empowering them to rise as entrepreneurial economic leaders. 
 
We recognize that certain groups have historically been left behind, and our program is intentionally designed to reach these young people. Through innovative curricula and program models, we ensure that no one is excluded from the opportunity to develop essential skills and thrive as entrepreneurs.
 
Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program offers a comprehensive learning experience that equips participants with critical real-world skills. Our curriculum covers areas such as leadership development, financial literacy, entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and the cultivation of social capital. By providing these foundational skills, we empower young entrepreneurs to navigate the challenges of the business world and succeed in their endeavors.
 
We believe that by investing in the potential of underrepresented youth and providing them with the tools and knowledge they need, we can break the cycle of economic disparity and create a more equitable society. Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program is committed to ensuring that all young individuals, regardless of their background or location, have the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills and become leaders in their communities and beyond.
Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program recognizes the importance of social capital in fostering effective functioning societies. Social capital refers to the networks of relationships among individuals who live and work within a particular community. We understand that social connections and support systems are vital for entrepreneurial success.
 
In contrast to some existing entrepreneurship programs that prioritize individuality, our program takes a comprehensive approach. We provide every participant with personalized coaching, seed funding, training, and ongoing support throughout the journey of launching their own business. We believe that by offering these resources, we position each participant’s business for long-term success.
 
Our commitment goes beyond the program duration. We understand that the initial launch is just the beginning of an entrepreneurial journey. Therefore, we provide after-program support to ensure that participants have access to ongoing guidance, mentorship, and resources as they navigate the challenges of running their businesses.
 
By emphasizing the importance of social capital and offering comprehensive support, Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program aims to empower young entrepreneurs with the necessary tools and networks to thrive. We believe that by fostering a supportive ecosystem, we can create a generation of successful entrepreneurs who contribute to the economic growth and vitality of their communities.

WHAT’S IN THE NAME

P.A.T.H. Push Achieve Trendsetter Hustle to Success is intentional.

A path is a way for passing on foot; a track, beaten by feet, not specially constructed.

What does it mean to forge your own path? A path is defined as a course, a route, a way of life, conduct or thought. Choosing your own path means consciously deciding what’s right for you at every moment. That means not choosing an option based on it being what people usually do. Instead, ideally, you stop and consider every step along your journey.

Push = to press against with force in order to drive or impel: to move or endeavor to move away or ahead by steady pressure without striking: to cause to increase; raise.

Achieve = successfully bring about or reach (a desired objective, level, or result) by effort, skill, or courage.

Trendsetter = a person who leads the way in fashion or ideas; initiator, innovator, pacesetter, stylist, and trailblazer.

Hustle = to proceed or work rapidly or energetically: to strive headstrong and enthusiastically towards a goal

To Success = the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

Did you see the trains go by?
Did you see the engines that gave me chills?
Did you make fun of your poor classmates?
When you gave up these thrills?

These are the beautiful, the rose’s petal. The steamship’s muscle, the sleight of hand hustle. They’re the deepest felt, that do not get questioned. They’re the pure aesthetic that give us direction.

Like the softest skin, the thickest grin, the perfect pitch, the puppy’s chin, the speeding train, the arched ceiling, the soothing shade.

Do not be afraid to let it take you
It’s freedom to its possessor

To the softest skin, to the thickest grin, to the perfect pitch, to the puppy’s chin.

To the speeding train, the arched ceiling, the curving hip, the soothing shade.

To the speeding train, to the speeding train, to the speeding train, to the speeding train, to the speeding train, to the speeding train, to the speeding train, to the speeding train.

Credit: Imaginary Third, released April 19, 2014

HOW WE DO IT

Life Skills

Youth Participants learn life skills such as leadership, conflict resolution, goal setting, teamwork, public speaking (build confidence), and financial literacy. They develop, strengthen and practice these skills until they become a routine.

P.A.T.H. to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program is a vehicle to prepare students and young adults the opportunity to accomplish their goals and steer a path of opportunity.

P.A.T.H. to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program embraces and connects with the maker movement which is the platform for today’s young entrepreneurs and artisans to create, craft, develop and prototype new and interesting ideas and products. This holds great potential and opportunity for community-wide advances in local entrepreneurship and job creation.

With passion driven by personal experience, Virginia Diverse Chamber of Commerce leadership assists in serving as role models for entrepreneurs rising from underserved communities. We use first-hand knowledge of the problems facing our underserved communities to construct an engaging curricular approach that helps young people to flourish even if they don’t connect well with traditional school settings.

If Interested 

Path to Success Youth Entrepreneur Program please complete the form. If under 18 years parent or guardian must consent.

Our motto is YOU ASKED FOR IT, WE LISTENED, WE GOT IT!

The importance of your input, feedback, and suggestions is critical in providing what you feel is necessary and will benefit you!

Please give us your input, which we use to provide the best services for YOU and our communities.

Youth Leadership Suggestion Box Form

Note: Contact info Required. Additional information may be needed to implement suggestions.