Impact Overview
Firsts change futures.
YEI helps young people turn creativity, business ideas, STE(A)M skills, and real-world experiences into confidence, income, leadership, and opportunity.
Our Impact
We create access where opportunity has been limited.
Youth Entrepreneur Institute helps DC youth and young adults build pathways to economic mobility through entrepreneurship, STE(A)M, creative workforce development, and real-world business experiences.
Founded in 2015 and rooted East of the River, YEI provides free, hands-on programs where young people create products, launch businesses, earn income, build confidence, and become community leaders.
From classrooms and maker labs to markets, pitch competitions, travel experiences, and social enterprise, YEI helps young people experience what is possible when access is created on purpose.
YEI at a Glance
Youth-powered pathways to economic mobility.
YEI has served youth through programs, events, markets, workshops, and hands-on entrepreneurship experiences.
Each year, youth participate in YEI programs, internships, social enterprise, markets, and special events.
Students develop ideas, create products, build brands, pitch, sell, and test business concepts.
Young entrepreneurs participate in pop-ups, vending opportunities, community markets, and youth showcases.
YEI distributes youth awards, seed funding, pitch support, and investment into youth business growth.
Recognized as an Outstanding Host Site by DC Department of Employment Services in 2023, 2024, and 2025.
2026 School-Year Impact
Building a youth-led economy.
Recent completed YEI program data shows youth turning creativity into income, confidence, customer service, collaboration, and real-world skills.
“I thought nobody would buy — now I see I was wrong.”
— Georgia, YEI participantImpact at a Glance
Real youth. Real businesses. Real outcomes.
New youth businesses launched through recent completed YEI programming.
Youth generated revenue through youth-led business and market experiences.
Students had their first customer service experience through YEI programming.
Youth collaborated with peers and solved problems through hands-on activities.
Students demonstrated gains in soft skills through recent completed programming.
YEI earned a 5.00 / 5.00 Youth PQA external assessment score for program quality.
How Impact Happens
YEI turns exposure into mobility.
Inspire
Students are introduced to new ideas, industries, careers, tools, businesses, mentors, and possibilities.
Activate
Youth build products, develop brands, practice financial skills, pitch ideas, and test business concepts.
Earn
Students sell at markets, participate in social enterprise, receive stipends, win pitch awards, and practice income-building.
Thrive
Youth leave with confidence, leadership, networks, skills, experience, and a stronger sense of what is possible.
Cumulative Youth Enterprise Impact
YEI’s long-term work continues to build youth business pathways.
Youth have developed, pitched, launched, or tested business ideas through YEI experiences.
Youth have earned startup awards, pitch awards, scholarships, and business support.
Youth generated business profits during launch phases, markets, and youth enterprise experiences.
YEI youth-led social enterprises actively operate in DC and create real-world business experience.
What Youth Gain
Impact is more than attendance.
YEI measures impact by what young people are able to do, build, practice, and believe after participating. Our programs focus on skill-building, confidence, exposure, income-building, and real-world application.
Entrepreneurial Mindset
Youth learn how to identify problems, create solutions, test ideas, price products, pitch, and sell.
STE(A)M Skillset
Students use tools like laser cutters, 3D printers, design software, cosmetics chemistry, and product-making equipment.
Creative Confidence
Young people design, make, brand, present, and share their work with customers and community.
Financial Practice
Students learn pricing, profit, cost, revenue, customer service, vending, and money decisions through real experiences.
Career Exposure
Youth meet professionals, visit new places, explore pathways, hear career stories, and build networks.
Leadership & Voice
Students practice public speaking, pitching, teamwork, decision-making, responsibility, and self-advocacy.
Program Pathways
Impact grows through connected experiences.
Entrepreneurship
Students learn business planning, pitching, branding, marketing, customer discovery, vending, and launching.
Making & Prototyping
Youth explore STEM, design, production, cosmetics chemistry, 3D printing, laser cutting, and product development.
Creative Economy
Students build skills in graphic design, apparel, media, creative business, and youth-made products.
Social Enterprise
Youth gain real experience through brands, vending, custom orders, product sales, and marketplace learning.
“High-quality experiences create real growth.”
YEI’s 5.00 / 5.00 Youth PQA external assessment score reflects strong program quality across safe environment, supportive environment, interaction, engagement, and instructional quality.
Why It Works
Young people need practice, not just programs.
Students do not just learn about entrepreneurship. They practice it. They do not just talk about careers. They meet people, visit places, and try new tools. They do not just imagine businesses. They build, pitch, sell, and reflect.
This real-world approach helps young people connect learning to income, identity, confidence, and possibility.
Help Grow the Impact
Invest in firsts that change futures.
Your support helps YEI provide youth with tools, mentors, markets, travel, paid learning, creative production, and real-world business experiences.