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.

The post CHECKING IN WITH JINNY LEE, YBA SCHOLARSHIP STUDENT appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.

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.

The post Checking In With Dulce Hernandez, YBA Student appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.

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.

The post THE FIFTH ANNUAL SOFTBALL SUMMIT FUNDRAISER WAS A HIT, RAISING MORE THAN $67,000 FOR YBA appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.

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!”

The post Quixote Rolls Out The Red Carpet For Roybal High School Film & Television Magnet Students During Their On-Site Field Trip appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.

Emerald Health, True Religion, Cushman & Wakefield and Yardi Headline a Line-Up of Heavy Hitters Supporting this Fifth Annual Event

Break out your softball gloves and your best networking skills and join us at the fifth annual Softball Summit Series Fundraiser (https://youthbizalliance.org/softball-tournament/).  Scheduled for April 22, 2022 at Penmar Park in Venice, CA, the event will run from 9:30 am until 5 pm and include a series of panel discussions, hands-on workshops for students, and lots of competitive softball fun!

Emerald Health, True Religion,Cushman & Wakefield and Yardi lead the roster of heavy-hitters as Commissioner Level sponsors, each donating $10,000 and helping YBA get closer to reaching its $50,000 event fundraising goal. Additional key sponsors include BooHoo, GoFundMe, JPMorgan Chase, QuickMD, Ritual, Pinnacle Contracting and ZGF Architects.

YBA’s Executive Director Betsy Blanchard shared, “We’d love for more companies and executives to join us. Simply attending this event is a fantastic way to support YBA’s mission of increasing access to business skills for youth in underserved communities.”

Panel discussions kick-off the day’s events, with prominent featured speakers including Devon Johnson, President of Springhill Entertainment; Sue Chen, CEO of Nova Medical Products; and Katrina Snyder, CEO of Ritual. The panel discussions will be followed by hands-on workshops as well as a Career Fair where students can visit booths from participants including True Religion, JPMorgan Chase, Cal State Long Beach and UCLA.

“Our event theme is creating community and breaking down barriers,” shared Event Founder Marques Williams of Cushman & Wakefield. “It’s critical for students to learn about the importance of building community first. And bringing students and executives together onto a softball field to connect and learn from each other is a great way to build community.”  

The softball tournament will include a warm up game and a qualifier game before lunch, followed by a single game elimination series as well as a homerun derby. The event will also feature an inventive book drive in which donors are asked to bring a book that impacted them personally and write a note of encouragement for a YBA student inside. Williams shared, “This creative book drive approach is yet another opportunity for the professional community to give a piece of advice or words of encouragement to motivate students to pursue challenging career opportunities and feel more confident within our complex world.”

To purchase tickets for the event, or to sign up as a sponsor, go to https://youthbizalliance.org/softball-tournament/. To learn more, contact Betsy Blanchard at betsy@youthbizalliance.org. Let’s play ball!

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.

The post BATTER UP! JOIN US FOR OUR SOFTBALL SUMMIT SERIES FUNDRAISER ON APRIL 22, 2022 appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.

As a YBA guest speaker, Robert could see that he opened up student’s minds to new opportunities. “Recently at a career day, I got up in front of a classroom and asked, “who wants to work at a bank when they grow up?’” No one raised their hand. I wasn’t surprised as I just followed two other guest speakers: a police officer and a pilot of an Army Blackhawk helicopter. I appreciated their service so much, however, I knew they would be tough acts to follow. I talked about how important banks are to helping people make their dreams come true, whether that means starting a business they’re passionate about or buying their first home. I explained the variety of positions within a bank – Marketing, Information Technology (helping to thwart hackers), Personal Bankers, Lenders, Human Resources and many others. At the end of my presentation, I asked again who is now interested in working at a bank, and then a few hands went up!” Robert always incorporates financial literacy lessons into his presentations as well to ensure students come away with tools that will help them as they get older. Topics that Robert has presented on include the importance of saving, buying your first car, creating a budget, using credit cards, managing debt, saving for college, and protecting your identity.

A first generation American of immigrant parents from Argentina, Robert recalls going to the bank as a child with his parents and helping to act as their translator. “I remember seeing the look on my parents’ faces when presented with so much to overcome. I often see that same face looking back at me with these students. They’re confronted with similar barriers that at times can seem overwhelming.”

This is one of the main reasons why Robert is so passionate about being a mentor, sharing with students that they too can be successful after high school, in college and in a career. “The YBA program shows students through examples that others have gone onto successful careers in a variety of industries. Exposure is extremely important.” This passion moved Robert to join the YBA Board of Directors in 2019.

Robert sees an even deeper connection between YBA and CTBC Bank on the horizon. “Every year, CTBC Bank performs a survey with non-profit partners to find out what the greatest needs are locally and how to best meet those needs. Last year, the lack of financial literacy ranked among the greatest needs found within communities we serve. Having a partnership with YBA helps meet that need for financial literacy.”

Now in 2022, coming out of the pandemic, Robert sees an even greater opportunity to extend YBA’s impact beyond Los Angeles. “We’ve been successful with a virtual implementation of the YBA program, and we can broaden our reach beyond Los Angeles to other regions and communities. I’m looking forward to seeing how many more young lives we can impact together.”

The post CTBC Bank’s Robert De Acevedo – Commitment To Community appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.

Now a sophomore at UCLA majoring in Psychology, Esther Sosa was immersed in the YBA curriculum as a senior at USC Hybrid High School in South Los Angeles. Presented with a choice of doing research, being a teacher’s assistant or taking the YBA course, Esther knew the YBA class was the right choice as she was excited to learn more about a variety of careers and have direct contact with professionals.

“My favorite part of the YBA class was that every week we had a guest speaker who spoke about their career. As seniors, we felt a lot of pressure as we were about to go to college and had to figure out what to study and pick as a profession. YBA gave all of us an opportunity to learn more about a variety of career paths to help make these choices a little easier.”

The YBA guest speakers taught Esther and her classmates about practical information ranging from how to do your taxes, to an introduction to the stock market. “We used a stock trading app to help us practice trading pretend stocks just for fun. The YBA speaker turned it into a contest to see who could invest more effectively to raise the most money by a pre-set deadline and the winner earned a prize. It was great!”

One important lesson Esther learned during her YBA course was about the importance of networking with new people, even as a student. She learned that you must get out of your comfort zone, go and introduce yourself, and ask for their contact information so you can follow-up. “I learned that first impressions matter and you need to act like you’re confident, even if you’re scared. I’d tell all high schoolers – don’t be shy, reach out and start making connections now!”

YBA now 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 our program graduates on their journey to career success and a brighter future through a college education.

The post Checking In With Esther Sosa, YBA Scholarship Student appeared first on Youth Business Alliance.