As one of YBA’s newest guest speakers, Unoma Haus Founder Vaughn Dabney has already made a long-lasting connection with YBA programs and the students it touches. Here’s some insight into how this impressive software developer, architect and van conversion entrepreneur has brought his professional and personal experiences to YBA students.

When did you first connect with YBA? What programs have you supported so far?

I first found out about YBA through my friend Lyric Everly who’s on YBA’s Community Board. She posted on Instagram about one spot open left for a guest judge on a panel at a YBA event this past summer. As I missed working with students, I contacted her immediately. It was amazing to see what the students came up with when challenged. I loved speaking to them about entrepreneurship, especially about what it means to develop a product and have a social mission embedded into your business.

After guest judging, I was hooked! I was then connected with the Boys and Girls Clubs to guest speak to them about my entrepreneurial journey and I’ve been fortunate to speak to them a few times since. I’ve learned that the best connections are made through conversations, not presentations. So that’s exactly what I did – had a conversation with the students about my business, what lessons I’ve learned and then answered their questions.  

Tell us a story about something interesting that happened during one of your YBA guest speaking opportunities.

At my very first YBA event – after judging the business competition – a mother of one of the students came up to me and said “Excuse me. My daughter loves what you’re doing with the vans. She watches it all the time on YouTube.” I was so impressed that I gave her information on my YouTube channel so she could watch me convert my delivery truck into what’s now my home. We continued chatting and she asked if I had any internships available. I just knew it was a great fit and about a month later I hired her as a paid intern. As I believe my purpose is to excite young entrepreneurs about their future, I was truly grateful to YBA for that moment.

How do you feel you’re making a difference as a YBA guest speaker?

First, I believe that YBA students can relate to me as they can see themselves in me. But then I surprise them by sharing that I’m a software developer, an architect and an entrepreneur. They’re also surprised that I’m relatable and approachable and I’m here to really serve them.

Second, I’m an open book and I love to let them ask lots of questions. I’ve been asked everything from “What’s it like to live in your delivery truck?” to “Is it claustrophobic?”. I give them a chance to talk about things that others might consider mundane but I consider important.

How do you see your relationship with YBA developing in the coming years?

I’d love to continue judging competitions and speaking to YBA high school students. I’d also love to even bring my rental van to a school and let the students see it in person. I’m sure they’d have even more questions then!

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Miguel Fletcher joined YBA as Business Development Director and Ethel Fimbres as Program Director, with Betsy Blanchard at the helm as Executive Director. The team is off and running!

Miguel joins YBA after four years as Director of Enrollment Management at Bishop Alemany High School in Mission Hills, California, part of his 11 years tenure as an administrator at Bishop Alemany, including seven years as Dean of Students.

What drew Miguel to explore and accept the position of Business Development Director for YBA? Miguel shared, “I’m excited to bring quality Career & Technical Education to Title 1 schools and underserved high school students in partnership with local corporations. Together we will bridge the gap in career education so students are exposed to a bright future.”

Ethel is a Career Technical Education (CTE) professional and educator with experience in both the public and non-profit sectors. She has held previous positions in workforce career counseling, managing CTE programs, teaching Computer Science at the middle/high school levels as well as teaching CTE Teacher Credential Candidates. 

As a first-generation Mexican-American growing up in South Los Angeles, Ethel was drawn to the Program Director position due to her passion for advocating for students from diverse cultural backgrounds, and helping ensure their academic success. “Over the last few months, I’ve enjoyed outreaching to schools and students. I’ve challenged myself to increase the number of schools participating in the YBA program, update the lesson design and make activities more engaging while integrating technology into the curriculum, and make more connections with teachers to assess their needs and provide more support.”

Both Miguel and Ethel have memorable mentorship experiences that influenced their own career path. 

“One of my most memorable mentorship experiences was in high school with my chemistry teacher Ms. Veenhof,” Miguel shared. “She was the type of teacher that made learning cool, and I used to hang out at lunchtime to watch her and her AP chemistry students. Most of those students were going on to prominent four-year colleges and I wanted to know what the secret was. She was tough, direct, and showed that if you took advantage of her mentorship it was possible to go on to one of those prominent universities. That had a tremendous impact on me.”

Ethel’s greatest mentorship came through her parents. “Growing up, my parents always encouraged me, telling me anything is possible if you put forth the effort. They made me feel empowered and not afraid to try new things. That allowed me to learn a lot of different skills that I apply to my life and work.”

Both Miguel and Ethel are extremely excited to support YBA’s mission to empower students to build essential business skills for 21st century careers.

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“Financial Literacy has always been a key focus of our Corporate Social Responsibility program and that’s why our partnership with YBA is such a great fit,” shared Shannon Vesely, Banc Of California’s Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) Program Manager. “As a bank, we provide 3-5 financial literacy workshops a month to different organizations. We do this because we believe that financial literacy is just so important. A lot of people take it for granted that they have this knowledge, but many people simply don’t. That’s why it’s so important to us to reach out to underserved and at-risk communities and provide resources and tools to help them gain this critical knowledge.”

Following guest speaking, the relationship between YBA and Banc of California blossomed into a more robust financial literacy program where YBA students from various high schools were brought to Banc Of California’s Santa Ana headquarters for in-person tours. “We typically have had a YBA class come for a three-hour, in-person tour about once a month,” shared Shannon. “In addition to a tour of our headquarters, a panel of volunteer speakers – employees from IT, marketing, human resources, lending and other key departments – present to the students and share what they do and how they landed their job. It’s an incredibly enlightening experience for both the students and our volunteer staff.”

In addition to student tours, Banc of California employees recently volunteered at the mock interviews at JFK High School in Granada Hills, and employee volunteers also acted as mentors and judges for the “Shark Tank”-style competition during the YBA Summer Business Camp last July 2022.

Shannon has seen how Banc Of California’s involvement has truly made a difference for YBA students simply based on the student’s level of engagement and the feedback received. “During one recent headquarters tour, we hosted students from a school specializing in film studies. One of our speakers was from our private banking department and specialized in the film industry. The students on the tour had lots of questions for him! It’s fantastic when there’s a specific topic that students and our Banc of California volunteers can connect on.”

Looking ahead to 2023, Banc of California plans to continue to host monthly student tours, with many of their employee volunteers planning to participate every time a YBA school is scheduled to come. “Our employees love to share advice as well as details about their journey of how they landed their position at Banc of California,” Shannon said. “Our partnership with YBA clearly supports our company’s dedication to important issues like Financial Literacy and our overall focus on service to others and giving back to the communities in which we live and work.”

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What sparked you to become a guest speaker with Youth Business Alliance?

I grew up in a small, migrant community with small schools. When I was in sixth grade at an all-school assembly, I remember a guy coming to give a motivational speech. Now I don’t remember exactly what he said, but he talked about his life experiences and how we could be whatever we wanted. His presentation made me feel differently, more inspired, and made me see things through a new lens. I immediately felt optimistic and excited, and while I didn’t know who he was, I believed that since he made me feel that way, he had to be an important and influential man. So much so that I actually chased down after him and asked for his autograph.

It was an experience that gave me a peek into my future. I felt like that’s something I want to do when I’m an adult – I want to speak with students who look like me and come from where I came from. And so when I was invited to become a guest speaker for YBA in 2017, I immediately accepted. I felt it was a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Tell us a story about something inspiring that happened during one of your YBA guest speaking experiences.

During my presentations, I often include an exercise that involves asking students to write down what success looks like to them and to list who in their life they believe is successful.

I recall during one presentation, everyone was writing down their responses except for one girl. My first thought was that she was simply unengaged.

However, at the end of my presentation, this girl walked up to me and said, “Excuse me, Miss Marisela. I just wanted you to know that I didn’t write anything down because I don’t have a successful person in my life. But now that I’ve met you, I do.” That was a humbling and incredible feeling, one that I will never forget.

How do you feel you’re making a difference through your work with YBA?

While most people would rather be bitten by a shark than do public speaking, I truly enjoy it and believe it’s one of my gifts. I really love speaking to students, specifically high school students in underserved communities.

However, high school students are a tough group to engage. My goal is to simply offer a new perspective, a different way of thinking from someone who has likely had similar experiences to theirs. I believe that they can see themselves in me – coming from a humble background, being a Latina, first-generation Mexican American with immigrant parents.

I believe guest speaking is a gift. And I’m certain that I get more out of it sometimes than they do!

What’s next? How do you see your relationship with YBA developing in the coming years?

I’m super excited to be back in the classroom and want to speak as often as possible! And I know that students will be happy to have all guest speakers present. That’s what’s so incredible about YBA. It brings in different people from the business community and exposes students to different professions, different perspectives, and even different vernacular.

YBA reignited a flame that started in me when I was an 11-year-old girl. I feel like I’ve found my voice through guest speaking for YBA.

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Following her senior year in the summer of 2021, Jinny was selected to join the annual YBA Summer Camp, an opportunity to put what she learned through the YBA curriculum into practice. “This was an incredible experience as we got to do a “Shark Tank” type group project in partnership with Uber. We received direct help from mentors and heard from guest speakers who helped guide us through the project.”

Her YBA connection continued after her freshman year at UCLA as Jinny became an intern for YBA’s 2022 Summer Camp, helping guide the campers and help them find research materials and websites to support their projects. All of these experiences reinforced one key insight that Jinny would share with any YBA student: “Pay attention! Whether on field trips or in the classroom with a guest speaker, listen and be in the moment. Students often complain about having to pay attention, but the YBA program is one they really should pay attention to or they’ll miss out!”

Today, as a UCLA sophomore, Jinny is working as a part-time consultant with YBA, organizing and analyzing research data pulled from YBA student survey feedback. Jinny is also researching and soliciting new guest speakers for specific schools that need them to support their YBA class.

When asked why she’s maintained her connection to YBA even after high school, Jinny clearly stated, “I’ve always felt supported by the YBA team, particularly by YBA’s Executive Director Betsy Blanchard. She’s checked in with me a lot and has consistently offered me a tremendous amount of support. That inspires me to stay connected to YBA and give back to them as well.”

YBA chooses 10 students each year to receive a four-year renewable scholarship of $500 per year. YBA is investing $15,000 in scholarships in 2022 to fuel its program graduates on their journey to career success and a brighter future through a college education.

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When applying to and interviewing for the Education Opportunity Program (EOP) at California State University, Northridge (CSUN), Jose Escobar tapped into his YBA knowledge base and used business etiquette learnings including doing research prior to the interview, being engaged and asking questions, and even deciding what to wear to the interview. Jose shared, “if I didn’t take the YBA course, I don’t know if I ever would have been taught any of these important business skills.”

Jose attended Valor Academy High School in North Hills, California and experienced the full YBA curriculum through his business class. Jose appreciated the opportunity to get in-depth insights into a variety of careers through numerous guest speakers, as well as instruction on practical business skills including how to write cover letters and resumes.

But his favorite part of the YBA curriculum was the mock job interviews. “I believe one of the best ways to learn is through experience. These mock interviews were great as we all received immediate feedback. Now I feel more prepared and confident for interviews in the future.” 

Jose also leveraged his learnings from the YBA program when thinking about his major at CSUN. “All of the YBA guest speakers reinforced the same key points: pursue your passions and persist through challenges. They showed me that there are lots of career options available to me, and that it’s OK to change my mind in the future and pursue a different path.”

For now, Jose has chosen Mechanical Engineering as his major and plans to use the YBA scholarship award to pay for a new laptop that runs the specialized software needed for his engineering classes. 

When asked about any tips for current YBA students, Jose emphatically recommended, “always pay attention and ask questions when you can. Once you’re outside of the YBA program, it will be much harder to get the insights, direction and answers you need for college and beyond so take advantage of the program while you’re in it!”

YBA chooses 10 students each year to receive a four-year renewable scholarship of $500 per year. YBA is investing $15,000 in scholarships in 2022 to fuel its program graduates on their journey to career success and a brighter future through a college education.

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With a lengthy background in education, youth development and politics, Jim Smith was bestowed the title of “The Commissioner” after being appointed to those titles by Mayor Tom Bradley, L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne Braithwaite Burke, and Compton Mayor Aja Brown. 

One of his most recent accomplishments as a Commissioner and Educator is that he brought together YBA and New Design Charter Schools. This partnership is a fascinating tale of persistence and commitment. 

It starts back in 2004 when New Design Charter Schools (NDCS) was founded by Dr. Yaw Adutwum. Noticing a need for college preparatory educational opportunities for students in South Los Angeles, Dr. Adutwum formed New Designs Charter School, a school that would provide career technical education and college preparation simultaneously. 

“Commissioner” Smith connected with NDCS starting in 2013, acting as their government and community relations consultant. Among his achievements, “Commissioner” Smith helped broker an official agreement between NDCS and the LA Community College District (LACCD) to allow NDCS 9th grade students the opportunity to participate in the LA Community College Dual Enrollment program at LA Trade Technical College, LA Community College and LA Southwest College while still in high school. 

More recently, “Commissioner” Smith’s intuition set him on another incredible path for NDCS. In 2019, he went to a seminar on career technical education (CTE). There he learned about the Strong Workforce Program, a state Department of Education grant that supports the creation, improvement and/or expansion of CTE courses and pathways for K-12 students. “I thought – this new grant is made for NDCS! I rushed back to the office to share the information but no one was as excited as me!” Undeterred, he got the school to submit a proposal and landed the first grant for $1 million in 2019. “That’s when I started to find the best partners to collaborate with on this grant – and YBA was an obvious top choice.”

“Commissioner” Smith brought YBA in as part of NDCS’s Strong Workforce program grant and tasked YBA to provide their career-based learning curriculum to help NDCS students have career-based learning and training and learn about soft skills like resume writing and mock job interviewing. “Commissioner” Smith shared, “When students come through YBA’s curriculum, they’re smarter about the world of work and career options and opportunities. They know how to get a job, retain it and grow in it. That’s all due to Youth Business Alliance.”

“It’s clear that the integration of career technical education (CTE) is a burgeoning trend in the education system. And we believe that Youth Business Alliance provides a key component to this pathway – practical career and work readiness training,” shared Betsy Blanchard, YBA’s Executive Director. 

With YBA’s curriculum now fully embedded into NDCS’s Watts and University Park campuses, “Commissioner” Smith believes that YBA’s continued involvement is key: “YBA brings needed glue to the equation of career-based learning and experience New Designs Charter Schools students. That’s a win for everyone.” 

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I am grateful for the YBA scholarship because I plan to pay for on-campus housing. I am currently a freshman at UCLA, majoring in Sociology. I will be the Marketing Director of LEAP, a program which focuses on the leadership and education of young students in low-income neighborhoods, next school year.

I work at UCLA’s Community Programs Office where I assist minority students with food insecurity, access to technology and printing, an open kitchen space to reheat and store their food, and numerous programs that help sustain community activism. In retrospect to my freshman year, I tried to discover my way through college while making friends and networking with people within my workplace. I feel living on campus will help immerse me into all that UCLA has to offer.

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Photos by Darren Vargas

The Fifth Annual Softball Summit Fundraiser, held on April 22nd at Penmar Park in Venice, was a smashing success, raising nearly $67,000 and breaking all previous fundraising records.

Leading the line-up of heavy-hitter sponsors were Emerald Health, True Religion, Cushman & Wakefield and Yardi, each donating $10,000 and helping YBA raise triple the amount raised at the last Softball Summit in 2019.

More than 120 business professionals and nearly 100 students attended the event, which included a series of panel discussions, hands-on workshops for students, and lots of competitive softball fun.

“This event was all about connection,” shared Event Founder Marques Williams of Cushman & Wakefield. “We were focused on engaging YBA students and inspiring them to chase their visions with love and intent. I hope they learned that every executive attending today truly built their business with purpose.”

Vincent Williams, Owner of Honey’s Kettle, kicked off the day with a discussion about why he chose to chase entrepreneurship. He shared: “I believe that as long as you stay in the game, you haven’t lost.”

Next, students got a college pep talk from Mark Covin of UCLA, followed by the first panel discussion moderated by Marques Williams and featuring Devin Johnson, President of Springhill Entertainment; Sue Chen, CEO of Nova Medical Products; and Katrina Schneider, CEO of Ritual.

The second panel moderated by Lyric Everly featured True Religion Brand Director Zee Wells, Actor/Director Daniel Gillies, Filmmaker Charlie “Calmatic” Kidd and Filmmaker Tevin Tavares.

The panels were followed by students joining roundtable talks with successful professionals including: Markus McQueen, Paul Viscaino, Laura Donaldson, Justin Frazier and Cal SOAP Long Beach team: Dominica Scibetta, Hiroka Harper, Ruthie Mendez, Nicole Taylor and Jocelyn Jaime.

The softball tournament started off strong with a full line-up of eight competing teams, including GoFundMe, True Religion, Cushman & Wakefield, ZGF Architects, Mountain, BooHoo, Ritual and QuickMD. As the play continued, the tournament narrowed down to the final game between BooHoo and a ZGF Architects & Cushman & Wakefield combo team, with BooHoo pulling out the Summit championship win.

YBA Executive Director Betsy Blanchard shared, “This year’s event was a wonderful day filled with panel discussions, a keynote speaker, student circles with guest speakers, staging and great music provided by Wife of the Party, food from Honey’s Kettle and of course softball! I’m so thankful for everyone’s participation and support, as it will fuel our program immensely!”

YBA’s Softball Summit Series Fundraiser supports YBA’s programs reaching 1,600+ high school students with curriculum, guest speakers and field trips that help students’ career exploration, soft skills, financial knowledge and business skills. Youth Business Alliance helps students discover their dreams and embrace their brilliance through real-world business experiences that build confidence, career opportunities and life-changing skills.

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Photo credit:  Jake Ross, Quixote Studios

“YBA gives us more experience with the industry, so we get more insight into how to create a movie or write a script. We can look up the basics online, but we need to be taught the details by industry professionals,” shared Babak Rownaghi, a Roybal High School Film & Television Magnet 10th grader. Babak was one of 17 students that attended an in-person field trip to Quixote, one of Los Angeles’ premier media production studios. Quixote’s Wendy Ramirez, Bailey LaFlam and YBA collaborated to plan a day of demonstrations and presentations to educate and inspire the students as they think ahead to their professional journey.

• Mikel Elliott, CEO and Co-Founder of Quixote Studios, kicked off the day with a tour of Quixote’s sprawling North Valley Film Studio Campus.  He shared his upbringing as the son of a union grip which led to his interest in a career in the entertainment business.  Mikel’s entrepreneurial spirit ultimately led to a significant leadership role in the film business. Mikel shared, “The best entry point for breaking into the production business is either a Stage Manager or a Production Assistant. Both positions offer lots of opportunities to make important connections. I wish I had these insights when I was your age about how to get into the film business.” 

Photo credit:  Jake Ross, Quixote Studios

Other presenters during the half-day field trip included:

• Steve Gainer, Cinematographer, Director, and Producer who shared his career story and gave a tutorial on how to shoot two and three person conversations.
• Olivia Elvestad, Quixote Rental Agent, who talked about the required work ethic to enter the field at a young age and the attention to detail and safety needed to be a valuable part of the production team.
• Shaun Garcia, Quixote Stage Manager, who talked about working with the teams filming at the studio space to ensure a successful production.

All of the presentations impressed the Roybal students. “Steve Gainer’s rise in the business from sweeping and mopping a film producer’s house to becoming a Cinematographer on huge films really inspired me. It made me think, ‘that could be me’,” shared Roybal High School 10th grader Anibal Mendes.

The Roybal High School Film & Television Magnet came on board with YBA in January 2022, making it one of YBA’s most recent additions to its school roster. Gregory Smith, Roybal’s Film & Television teacher, has already seen the benefits YBA brings to his class. “We challenged YBA to help us deliver insights and connections into the entertainment industry and they absolutely have. YBA is truly open to anything, and that’s something that’s deeply appreciated.”

“These field trips give students exposure to each company, showing that they’re accessible and that it’s possible for them to pursue a career in film and television production themselves,” shared Betsy Blanchard, YBA’s Executive Director.

The field trip concluded with students taking photos with presenters and reflecting upon what was shared. Most notable was a bit of advice from Steve Gainer. He said, “Networking is crucial. Every job I get is because I know someone on the production team. The odds are that someone in this class will make it in the entertainment business – so stay friends!”

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