Welcome to Santa's Summer Workshop

NFTE's Summer on the Global Stage

Summer brings tremendous visibility for NFTE, whether on the world stage, with fellow nonprofits, or at high-profile policy events. As the leading entrepreneurship education organization, NFTE is increasingly sought after for our insights and expertise, showcased through the success of our programs and the achievements of our students and alumni.

This past month, we proudly shared the NFTE story around the globe. At the World Economic Forum's summer meeting in China, I had the honor of representing NFTE in Dalian and moderating a compelling panel on AI and education with Dr. Chung Jae Young, President of the Korea Education and Research Information Service, and Njideka U. Harry, founder of the Youth for Technology Foundation. NFTE also took center stage at the NAF Next 2024 Conference, where we were featured alongside other Career & Technical Education (CTE) organizations in a roundtable discussion before an audience of 900.

Additionally, at JFF Horizons, NFTE was involved in two powerful panels focused on our growing policy advocacy efforts. Together with a coalition of like-minded organizations, we explored important topics like overcoming systemic barriers to workforce readiness, job creation, and economic growth by fostering an entrepreneurial mindset in all students. Many thanks to NFTE alumna Mary Blackford, Founder of Market 7; Robert Dais, Statewide Director of GEAR UP; Philip Fitzgerald, Senior Program Officer of the Citi Foundation, NAF alum Atul Kapoor, Vice President of Engineers at Stack Blue; Lisa Dughi, CEO of NAF; Marek Laco, Professional Staff Member on the House Committee on Education and the Workforce; and Jose Garcia, Education Policy Advisor for Chairman Sanders on the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

It's an exciting time for NFTE as we continue to lead and inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs!

New Faces, New Structure, New Ideas

NFTE's Senior Leadership Team (SLT) has expanded! This team is crucial to managing NFTE's strategic objectives and ensuring progress toward goals. To build a bench of NFTE leaders and incorporate crucial perspectives, NFTE welcomed four new SLT members in July.

Dianna Imrie, Senior Human Resources Manager, and Ronald Jacobs, Director of Information Technology, took permanent seats on the SLT. Dr. Elizabeth Kim, Director of Research and Analytics, and Chris Brignolle, NFTE Southeast Executive Director, joined as rotating members.

To foster greater interaction, strategic focus, information sharing, and ideation, the meeting structure was also revamped.

NFTE Alumna Returns as Summer Fellow

Once an introverted student, Sankalpa Hedge found her voice and entrepreneurial spirit through NFTE. Now, she's giving back as a fellow in the Mid-Atlantic region, inspired by her own journey and her business idea, "DesiRoots," which aims to increase South Asian representation in the beauty industry.

During her fellowship, Sankalpa looks forward to mentoring young entrepreneurs and expanding her network. Her advice to future NFTE students? "Say yes to every opportunity possible."

Drawing inspiration from Wonder Woman as her ideal mentor, Hedge aims to be a force for change and empowerment during her fellowship!

Read the Full Story

NFTE Writes: Must-Read Books

In 1982, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Founder Steve Mariotti made a bold career shift from the corporate world to become a special education teacher in New York City's public schools.

During his six and a half years of teaching, Mariotti discovered that entrepreneurship was a transformative tool to motivate his most challenging students. By teaching them how to run businesses, he ignited their passion for learning and self-improvement.

This insight led to Mariotti's founding of NFTE in 1987. Since then, our now-global nonprofit has been dedicated to bringing entrepreneurial education to underserved youth wherever they are.

Mariotti's book, "The Young Entrepreneur's Guide to Starting and Running a Business," encapsulates his philosophy. Through inspiring stories of young entrepreneurs, it shows readers how to transform their passions into profitable ventures. The book covers essential entrepreneurial traits and provides practical advice on launching and managing a successful business.

South Region Winner Joins National Challenge

As the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge approaches this October in New York City, more students are joining the ranks of regional winners. On July 18, the South region wrapped up its four-week NFTE STEM BizCamp at the University of Texas at Dallas, where 11 students honed their entrepreneurial skills.

Mars Ratliff, a 16-year-old junior from Woodrow Wilson High School, emerged as the winner with her innovative app, Interio Interiors. The app aims to connect young interior designers with potential clients, addressing a gap in the market.

Ratliff's win secures her a $300 prize and a trip to New York for the national competition. There, she'll pitch her business idea alongside other regional winners to a panel of judges and investors.

Corporate Spotlight

A huge shoutout to Shopify for empowering our NFTE students with hands-on support to elevate their businesses! At our inaugural NFTE STEM BizCamp in the South region, Shopify engaged students with a dynamic session on building their own e-commerce stores. Shopify volunteers showcased how entrepreneurs leverage the platform and introduced innovative AI tools for generating business names, logos, and content. Thanks to Shopify’s guidance, every student proudly earned their Shopify Basics badge, stepping confidently into the world of e-commerce.

NFTE in the News

The Dallas Express: Dallas Stakeholders Talk Preparing Students for College, Workforce.
KMLK: Miami Charity Welcomes Final Submissions for Its 10th Annual Local and Global Grantmaking Program.
Texas Metro News: Young Entrepreneurs Pitch Ideas In “Shark Tank”-Like Competition and Chance to Impress Investors in National Contest .
Dallas Innovates: 3 DISD Students Win NFTE STEM BizCamp Pitch at UNT Dallas.
Advocate Oak Cliff: Adamson High School student takes third place in ‘Shark Tank’-like entrepreneurship competition.
Advocate Lakewood/East Dallas: UNT Dallas’ “Shark Tank” style high school competition winners are announced.
13WIBW: Good Kids - Boys and Girls Club Standout Student.
Pasadena Weekly: A Fresh Semester: Navigating the New School Year at Alma Fuerte.
Associated Press: Syniverse's Sandra Rosa Honored as One of Tampa Titan 100's Top Executives.