Community Corner

Young Entrepreneurs Graduate From Annual Academy

Six Young Entrepreneurs Academy participants officially graduated from the program Thursday and presented their new companies to Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce members.

Six local students had the opportunity to present their new companies to members of the Thursday.

The students officially graduated Thursday morning from the Chamber's Young Entrepreneurs Academy, a program that allows local students to create "truly functioning, hopefully money-making businesses," said Dale Perrin, executive director of the Chamber.

The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, or YEA!, started two years ago as a way for the Chamber to make better use of its donated scholarship funds. The Chamber gives a $1,500 scholarship to a local student each year. More scholarship funds are used to pay for the rights to use YEA!, which started in Rochester, NY.

From October to May of each school year, students in sixth through 12th grades meet weekly to brainstorm and select potential business ideas, identify possible funding opportunities, write a business plan, and work with graphic artists to create logos and other materials for their businesses. Since its inception two years ago in the Lake Zurich area, students have created 11 businesses.

This year's new businesses ranged from a lawn service to the creation of a bicycle-like golf cart.

The latter project was the brainchild of Lake Zurich High School juniors Brian Kieffer and Will Peet. The duo designed a four-wheeled golf cart that allows riders to pedal around the golf course rather than drive. The students said their creation is environmentally-friendly, creates a new revenue source for golf courses and gives golfers an opportunity to exercise.

Kieffer added that the vehicle, called the CyCaddy, also reduces turf damage.

Lake Zurich Middle School north sixth-grader Alvin Pham and Lake Zurich High School freshman Michael Fuell created a company called techmanuals, which aims to help students ages 6 to 15 learn how to use various computer programs. Pham said the printed manuals feature also feature games for students to play as they learn.

At Thursday's Chamber of Commerce breakfast, Pham and Fuell offered a sample manual that explains how to sign up for a Facebook account. After a couple pages of instructions, readers can take a break to play a game as a sort of reward for getting through the first few steps of setting up their Facebook accounts.

Jason Krasavage, an eighth-grader at Lake Zurich Middle School North, created Modern Media Solutions, a company that specializes in converting "old-style media" like vinyl, cassettes and VHS tapes to CDs and DVDs. Krasavage said that with all of the technological advances, "people with old-style media are being left behind."

"Modern Media Solutions is pushing people into the future," said Krasavage. He has already converted some of his dad's old tapes and a teacher even asked Krasavage to convert some of his "old-style media."

JD Parchetta started Scholastic Lawn Service, which solely employs Lake Zurich athletes. From March to October, Parchetta and seven of his fellow athletes can perform a variety of lawn services, including mowing, fertilization, weed control, hedging, mulching and power washing. From November to February, the students can be hired for snow removal.

"By using it, you're not only helping yourself, but you're also helping the Lake Zurich athletes employed (by Scholastic Lawn Service)," said Parchetta. He added that a portion of proceeds will be donated back to the Lake Zurich community.

Registration is open for the 2011-12 YEA! program. For more information, contact the Lake Zurich Area Chamber of Commerce at (847) 438-5572 or visit www.lakezurichareachamber.com.


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