Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) | Turning Students Into Entrepreneurs

Redefining Entrepreneurship Education in America

Embrace Your Passion. Live Your Dream. Change the World.

The Future of Business is Here—Meet Our 2026 National Winners

“YEA! Nationals 2026 was nothing short of extraordinary. We witnessed the most incredible group of young entrepreneurs—confident, passionate, and truly impressive in every way. The level of innovation, professionalism, and heart these students brought to the stage was inspiring, and it is a direct reflection of the outstanding work happening in YEA! chapters across the country. We are so proud to celebrate these remarkable students and the life-changing impact of this program—and we are more energized than ever to expand YEA! and bring this powerful experience to even more students and communities nationwide.”

— Gayle Jagel, Founder & CEO, Young Entrepreneurs Academy, YEA!

Pictured from left to right:

2nd Place: Reanna Bhuyan Patel, Mentora
YEA! Princeton Mercer County | Princeton, NJ

3rd Place: Calista Yun, TuffCookie.co
YEA! Manhattan Beach | Manhattan Beach, CA

1st Place & People’s Choice: William Frederick, Scent-Pop
YEA! Philadelphia | Philadelphia, PA

From YEA! to Future Leaders: Where Are They Now?

Watch Their Story

Learn More About Our Partnership

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Take a YEA! Class

Are you a high school or middle school student interested in learning how to become and entrepreneur and actually start and run your own, REAL, business or social movement? Then YEA! is for you!

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Get Involved

Give back to your community and inspire young minds! Become a guest speaker, a business mentor, or Investor Panel judge, and help take students business ideas to the next level!

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Launch the Academy

Launching a life-changing youth entrepreneurship program is easy! Learn more about Sam’s Club “Success Made Simple” start-up funds, and how to bring the Academy to your community.

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National Competition

The top young entrepreneurs from each YEA! class across the nation compete for college scholarships, start-up money and prizes at the prestigious National Competition each year.