Future Fort Worth leaders gathered at the University of Texas at Arlington Fort Worth campus last week for a serious look at their business plans \u2014 and to eat pizza.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The 13- to 16-year-old students took part in the inaugural Young Entrepreneur Summer Camp, a two-week event hosted by TechFW, Junior Achievement of Chisholm Trail, the Fort Worth Park & Recreation Department, Fort Worth ISD and software development platform Lovable. The camp ran from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily and ended with a pitch competition between teams Friday.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Students were all drawn from the Rising Stars Youth Leadership Academy, a park and recreation department program focused on education and skills development of students ages 13-17.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Mayor Mattie Parker celebrated the young entrepreneurs during the post-pizza ceremony as she announced the pitch competition winners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Entrepreneurship is alive and well in Cowtown, Parker said. Still, she noted that the 10th-largest city in the country still relies on Main Street business, built off the work of its local business owners.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s entrepreneurs like each of you. We want you to know that your city is really one of those innovative places to build a business and to feel supported,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The winning team included Makadence Joshua, 14, a student at Trinity Basin Preparatory\u2019s south campus. Her team pitched a digital app connecting nonprofits with volunteers.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI had a great time,\u201d she said. \u201cOne day, my mother asked me if I wanted to learn how to make an app and I said, \u2018Yes.\u2019 I would love to do this again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Briana Wucinski, a marketing coach at TechFW, said the goal of the program was to expose young people to entrepreneurship and to expose them to artificial intelligence.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Several regional nonprofits submitted problems that the students could attempt to solve.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe had mentors, different community partners , coaches, TechFW members as well, who came to help support the students and do different workshops with them and helped them develop their pitches,\u201d Wucinski said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In addition, several entrepreneurs shared their stories with the students.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey really got to see the full gambit of what being an entrepreneur can really be,\u201d she said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
This year was a beta test of the concept, Wucinski said. TechFW and the other partners plan to expand the camp next year.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe want to expand it to a larger audience in the Fort Worth ISD and open it up so more students can participate,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Bob Francis is business editor for the Fort Worth Report. Email him at bob.francis@fortworthreport.org.\u00a0<\/p>\n