Young Entrepreneurs Program

2024 YEP KC Spotlights! Introducing Preston Lee Hello everyone! My name is Preston Lee and I am a rising senior at Lincoln College Prep. In college, I plan on pursuing a degree in economics and minoring in French and finance. My goal is to go into housing development. This summer, I am at Kansas City G.I.F.T. (Generating Income For Tomorrow) interning under their marketing team. Kansas City G.I.F.T is a non-profit for small black-owned businesses. Their goal is to close the historical wealth gap between African-Americans and other ethnicities throughout Kansas City. I am responsible for using Photoshop and different design platforms to create different carousels that are posted on various social media platforms. During my time at G.I.F.T., I'm working under Jackelyn Daniels and Cornell Gorman. We have been focusing on an upcoming gala on September 28th and trying to gain traction to sell tickets. I have experienced growth in many areas during my time at G.I.F.T. I am developing my graphic design skills in Canva and Adobe Premiere Pro. I'm also learning how to apply different marketing techniques. An example would be appealing to people's emotions on different social media platforms, such as Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. I am very thankful for the opportunity YEP and Kansas City G.I.F.T. have provided me with through the summer, and I will continue to grow and learn.

2024 YEP KC Spotlights! Introducing Anna McDonald Hello! My name is Anna McDonald, and I am a rising senior at Pembroke Hill High School. I am exploring possible majors for college, but am especially interested in business, marketing, and politics. This summer, I am interning at Kansas City G.I.F.T. (Generating Income For Tomorrow), a nonprofit that focuses its efforts on reducing redlining in the greater Kansas City area through uplifting businesses on Troost and Prospect Avenues through grants, business coaching, and legal council. During my time at the organization, I've been working primarily with Jackelyn Daniels and Cornell Gorman in the marketing department as we prepare for our upcoming gala and work to sell tickets and expand our reach. I've learned a lot about the psychology of marketing, and have expanded my graphic design portfolio significantly through designing multiple Instagram carousels and Facebook posts! I am extremely grateful for this opportunity YEP KC has given me. The program has taught me about everything from biotech to architectural engineering through numerous weekly visits to startups around the Kansas City area, and I have no doubt that I will utilize the knowledge I've gained this summer through my college career and into the professional world!

Today, we had the incredible honor of speaking with Co-Founder, CEO & Chair Jacqueline Reses at Lead! We are so grateful for this opportunity, and we loved learning about her journey!

We had an amazing day visiting the Kauffman Stadium to learn about the business of baseball behind the Kansas City Royals! A royal thank you to our incredible hosts Caitlin Wienck, Curt Nelson, and Colby Curry for giving us a spectacular tour today, and to our guests from Lead for joining us!

2024 YEP KC Spotlights! Introducing Sterling Smith Hey everyone! My name is Sterling Smith, and I recently graduated from Blue Valley Northwest High School and will be a freshman at the University of Kansas in the fall. At KU, I plan to study aerospace engineering with the intent to minor in business. This summer, I am interning at Kiewit, which focuses on engineering, procurement, and construction of heavy civil, power, transportation, and water resource markets. At Kiewit, I’m a mechanical engineering intern in the Industrial and Water Engineering Department working on a clean water treatment facility being built in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Combining Kiewit and YEP KC, I strive to continue to grow my intellectual curiosity as I discover how the world around us works and meet those who have great understandings of engineering and business practices. While Kiewit and YEP are very different in size, both have helped me recognize the importance of a high-quality culture in a business. I aspire to develop the mindset and perspectives necessary for a successful career in engineering as I continue to grow my professional network alongside technical skills. This summer at YEP and Kiewit represents a major step in that direction, and I really appreciate being surrounded by people who show such a deep passion and interest in their work. Finally, I want to thank everyone at Kiewit and YEP who have helped create these amazing opportunities!

This morning, we had our first Friday Visit of Session 2 at Ronawk. A special thank you to our wonderful host Scott Leigh for the amazing tour and presentation of how Ronawk is revolutionizing the biotechnology industry to accelerate next-generation cell therapies by developing their Bio-Block Universe, a standardized, expandable, customizable, three-dimensional platform that facilitates cellular function and communication in a bio-mimetic microenvironment. An additional thank you to the interns at Lead for joining us!

2024 YEP KC Spotlights! Introducing Arnesh Sharma Hello! My name is Arnesh Sharma and I am a rising senior at Blue Valley West High School. This summer, I am at C2FO as an engineering and data science intern in their Data Analytics and Decision Sciences department. C2FO is a Leawood-based fintech company that delivers working capital solutions to increase cash flow for businesses around the world. In my role, I am responsible for analyzing, charting, and reporting on various metrics about suppliers and buyers who leverage C2FO’s Early Pay Marketplace. This internship has been a phenomenal opportunity for me to further explore my interests in data, computing, and finance. While I have been interning at C2FO, YEP KC has provided me with invaluable experiences, such as networking with some of Kansas City’s top entrepreneurs and meeting like-minded peers with whom I can share my ideas. Outside of YEP KC, I love working on sports analytics projects and am also a part of a community-based robotics team, the FTC Cobalt Colts. As I continue my education into college, I plan on studying some combination of economics, statistics, and computer science.

This afternoon, we had our last Friday Visit of Session 1 at Flyover Capital, where we learned how they drive exponential growth in companies and industries in the underfunded Flyover region through early-stage venture capital. Huge thank you to Patrick Berry, Dan Kerr, Colby Marsden, and Alexa Heying for making our visit such an engaging experience!

2024 YEP KC Spotlights! Introducing Greysen Williams Hi! My name is Greysen Williams and I am an upcoming senior at Blue Valley North High School. In college, I plan on pursuing a degree in marketing while minoring in Spanish and entrepreneurship in hopes that I will run my own business. This summer, I have the opportunity to intern at Startland, a news and education company that supports entrepreneurs in the Kansas City area, with my work focusing on the news and marketing side of the business. In my time at Startland, I have significantly developed my skills in consumer retention, entrepreneurship, and storytelling. With my prior experience in Adobe Premiere Pro and photography, I have been able to support the company with new social media pursuits and marketing strategies. Both Startland and YEP have both provided me with valuable real-world experiences. Startland has introduced me to new connections as well as firsthand experience with marketing. Along with that, YEP has allowed me to grow my tenacity and determination, as well as introduced me to new companies in the Kansas City area. I am learning new and valuable skills everyday, and I look forward to continuing to expand my horizons throughout the summer. I am tremendously grateful for this opportunity and appreciate both Startland and YEP!

This morning, we had our third weekly visit at the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, where we learned about Mr. K’s profound legacy and how his foundation uses philanthropy to advance entrepreneurship, education, and civic development in Kansas City. A massive thank you to Matt Pozel, Dan Smith MBA, Shakia Webb, Meredith Walrafen, and Miranda Schultz for making our visit such an enjoyable experience!