Posted by Contributor on 10/29/14 • Categorized as Advice For The Young At Heart
By John Hope Bryant is founder, chairman, and CEO of Operation HOPE, and the author of ”How the Poor Can Save Capitalism: Rebuilding the Path to the Middle Class“
Children are natural-born entrepreneurs. When they’re toddlers, they make homemade mud pies and “sell” them to Mom or Dad. As they get older, they start to understand that adults will pay them small amounts of real money in exchange for goods or services, such as a cup of iced lemonade or walking their dog after school.
In 2013, Operation HOPE launched a pilot program in four cities – Atlanta, Denver, LA, and Oakland – to help schoolchildren in underprivileged communities learn the basics of financial literacy and entrepreneurship. In a competition, kids pitch their entrepreneurial ideas to a committee of business leaders, and the winners are given a $500 grant and help in launching their startup businesses.
Posted by Natasha Eldridge, Senior Fellow, Operation HOPE