Our Team
The people behind the firsts.
YEI is powered by educators, artists, entrepreneurs, mentors, makers, and community-rooted leaders who believe young people deserve access on purpose.
We help youth learn, create, sell, earn, travel, and lead.
Who Powers YEI
A team built around creativity, care, and real-world opportunity.
Our team brings together lived experience, creative industry knowledge, youth development, entrepreneurship, program design, and a deep commitment to helping young people access opportunities that poverty too often tries to keep out of reach.
From classrooms and studios to pop-up markets, travel experiences, vending events, and youth-led businesses, YEI staff help students turn creativity into confidence, products, income, and leadership.
Each member of our team helps bring YEI’s model to life: creativity, entrepreneurship, STE(A)M, real-world markets, paid opportunities, and access on purpose.
Founder & Leadership
Tacharna Crump
Founder & Executive Director
Tacharna Crump leads YEI’s vision to put poverty out of business by creating entrepreneurship, STE(A)M, creative economy, travel, and income-building experiences for young people.
Her work is rooted in the belief that youth deserve more than inspiration. They deserve access, tools, markets, mentorship, ownership, and real opportunities to practice what is possible.
Under her leadership, YEI has grown from an arts-based T-shirt printing entrepreneurship program into a youth-powered economic ecosystem connecting students to programs, products, paid opportunities, vending, travel, and youth-led businesses.
Core Team
Meet the team helping youth build what comes next.
Caprise Shambley
Director of Programs / Bard Site Program Manager / Lead Entrepreneurship InstructorCaprise leads YEI’s program implementation and supports student engagement, entrepreneurship instruction, and site-based learning at Bard High School. She helps students move from ideas to action through business planning, product development, leadership, and real-world entrepreneurship experiences.
Tyrone Williams
Made By Youth Studio ManagerTyrone manages operations and programming at the Made By Youth Studio. He teaches technical production skills including laser cutting, apparel making, studio operations, and custom product development while supporting the You Dream, We Design social enterprise.
Monique Chambliss
Vending & Jr. Programs Manager / Ketcham Lead InstructorMonique manages YEI’s weekend vending markets, including opportunities such as Tanger, Eastern Market, and other pop-up events. She also serves as the program manager and lead instructor at Ketcham Elementary, supporting younger entrepreneurs through Smart Hustle Jr. programming.
Teaching Artists & Instructors
The makers, mentors, and creatives guiding hands-on learning.
Mark Coppedge
Lead STE(A)M InstructorMark leads STE(A)M instruction and manages hands-on product learning through the Good Hair and Scented Futures social enterprise programs. He teaches cosmetics, candle making, prototyping, and technical production skills, including laser cutter projects.
Ashley Garland
Program Manager in Training / Lead Cosmetics — BizBeauty Jr.Ashley leads cosmetics instruction for elementary and middle school BizBeauty Jr. and also teaches Smart Hustle Abroad at DPA. A former YEI student and entrepreneur with non-profit youth program management experience, she helps youth connect creativity, business, and the creative economy so product ideas become real opportunities, while training as a Program Manager.
Lonika Atkinson (Pinky)
Program Manager in Training / Entrepreneurship — Smart Hustle Jr.Lonika (Pinky) leads entrepreneurship for middle school Smart Hustle Jr. and also teaches Smart Hustle Abroad at DPA. She brings experience designing and facilitating youth curriculum East of the River, and helps students connect creativity, business, and the creative economy while training as a Program Manager.
Najae Purvis
Art / STEM Teaching Artist — Jr. Programs, DPANajae teaches art and STEM for Jr. programs at DPA. A YEI alumna with her own fashion line, now studying architecture at UDC, she helps students connect creative making with design and technical skills — and see how design links to branding, products, and entrepreneurship.
Jaelyn Chapman
Teaching Artist / Jr. Programs — KetchamJaelyn supports Jr. programming at Ketcham Elementary. A Bard High School Early College graduate with a psychology background, she brings youth-development and community experience from roles across DC.
Christy Hall
Teaching Artist / Jr. Programs SupportChristy supports elementary and middle school students through business activities, Artpreneur Jr., and BizBeauty Jr. programming. She helps younger students explore creativity, confidence, product-making, and early entrepreneurship skills.
Youth Leadership Pipeline
Peer mentors help the next generation lead.
YEI peer mentors are college students, alumni, business owners, and emerging leaders who support younger students across departments. They help with programming, events, vending, STE(A)M, entrepreneurship, cosmetics, art, and youth business development.
Their leadership shows students what it looks like to grow through YEI and come back to help others build confidence, skills, and opportunity.
Bailey
Entrepreneurship Peer MentorYEI alumni, college student, business owner, and previous YEI pitch winner studying business and accounting.
Deloris
Entrepreneurship Peer MentorYEI alumni, college student, business owner, and previous YEI pitch winner studying business and accounting.
Jayla
Cosmetics Peer MentorBard graduate, college student, YEI alumni, and BizBeauty program mentor supporting the cosmetics department.
Issac
STE(A)M Peer MentorSWW/GWU student and YEI alumni of the STEAMprentice program supporting the STE(A)M department.
Rolanda
Vending Peer MentorBard graduate, college student, and YEI alumni supporting youth vending, markets, and student business experiences.
Armone
Art & Graphic Design Peer MentorBard graduate, college student, and YEI Artpreneur alumni supporting art, graphic design, and creative student projects.
Sionna
BizBeauty Jr. Peer MentorBard graduate, college student, business owner, and YEI alumni supporting BizBeauty Jr. programming.
How We Work
Our team shows up with purpose.
Creative
We use art, culture, design, and entrepreneurship to make learning relevant and real.
Practical
We connect lessons to products, markets, money, tools, careers, and real-world experience.
Community-Rooted
We design programs around what young people and communities actually need.
Youth-Centered
We believe young people deserve to be trusted, challenged, supported, and taken seriously.
Join the work.
Whether you are an educator, artist, entrepreneur, mentor, volunteer, or partner, there is a place for you in helping young people create their next first.