Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship Launches High School Innovation Academy for High Schoolers with Advance OC and C&C

Chapman's Leatherby Center Partners with Advance OC and C&C Innovative Solutions to Launch "Make An Impact Innovation Academy" for High School Entrepreneurs

ORANGE, CA, UNITED STATES, May 29, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Chapman University's Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics is proud to announce the launch of the "Make An Impact Innovation Academy" for high school students. Partnering with C&C Innovative Solutions, this month-long summer program aims to empower young, diverse innovators to kickstart their entrepreneurial journey and gain essential career-building skills.

Dr. Cynthia West, Director of the Leatherby Center, expresses enthusiasm for the initiative, "As Orange County’s Accelerate California Inclusive Innovation Entrepreneurship Hub, we hope to inspire youth in our underserved communities to consider entrepreneurship as a career path. Many think that working for large corporations is the best path, however, as our economy moves into a gig economy, educating our youth to create their own destinies is key."

The "Make an Impact Innovation Academy" provides engaging experiences and impactful coaching for ambitious high school students, instilling confidence in their ability to pursue their passions. Students will gain essential career-building skills such as: understanding of business building fundamentals, public speaking, analytical risk assessment, and negotiation strategies. Through a carefully crafted curriculum and mentorship sessions, participants will develop critical thinking, problem-solving, effective communication, leadership, financial literacy, and ethical and social responsibility skills.

Scheduled from July to August, the program covers various aspects of entrepreneurship, including ideation, customer discovery, market sizing, financial literacy, and pitch readiness. Participants will engage in hands-on challenges and workshops designed to develop their entrepreneurial mindset and practical skills.

Key Highlights:

-91% of participants are first time founders from diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds, reflecting the program's commitment to diversity and inclusion.

-The program emphasizes leadership, public speaking, team development, creativity, and risk management, essential for navigating the professional world.

-99% of participants plan to pursue entrepreneurship in their careers, illustrating the program's profound impact on future aspirations.

The program aims to build a diverse talent pipeline and drive cultural change in entrepreneurship ecosystems and workplace equity.

Caitlyn Yang, Co-Founder of C&C Innovative Solutions, underscores the program's mission, "Our goal is to empower students with the entrepreneurial tools and skills to thrive in any professional setting, shaping the leaders of tomorrow and uplifting communities for generations to come.”

"The Make an Impact Innovation Academy provides a unique opportunity for students to discover their potential and create societal change,” states Catlin Tran, Co-Founder of C&C Innovative Solutions. “We are excited to collaborate with Chapman University's Leatherby Center to inspire the next generation of innovators."

Sign Up Today:
https://www.ccinnovativesolutions.org/map-innovation-program

Upcoming Orientation Dates
• Virtual Orientation #1: Wednesday, June 19th, 6-8pm
• In Person Orientation #2: Saturday, June 29th, 10am-12pm @ Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics

The program culminates with students presenting their final pitches, showcasing their problem-solving abilities, business acumen, and entrepreneurial journey plans. Students receive a Certificate of Achievement from the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship & Partners, and a Letter of Recognition from the Director of the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship.

The program is supported by a generous donation from the Shah family. Another key partner is Advance OC who envisions a world where a person’s zip code does not limit their human potential. Their mission is to use data, innovation, and strategic philanthropy to address the inequities in Orange County communities.

About Chapman University’s Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business Ethics

The vision of the Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship is to inspire, educate, and empower the next generation of talent to have an entrepreneurial mindset. To teach students how to innovate and take risks, whether they are starting their own venture, or working inside a corporation. Through our curriculum and our incubator, we provide hands-on experience to the next generation of talent, teaching them how to develop, scale, and launch their own ventures as future global citizens in the world economy.

Learn More: https://www.chapman.edu/research/institutes-and-centers/leatherby-center/index.aspx

About Chapman University

Founded in 1861, Chapman University is a nationally ranked private university in Orange, California, about 30 miles south of Los Angeles. Chapman serves nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students, with a 12:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Students can choose from 123 areas of study within 11 colleges for a personalized education. Chapman is categorized by the Carnegie Classification as an R2 "high research activity" institution. Students at Chapman learn directly from distinguished world-class faculty including Nobel Prize winners, MacArthur fellows, published authors and Academy Award winners. The campus has produced a Rhodes Scholar, been named a top producer of Fulbright Scholars and hosts a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation's oldest and most prestigious honor society. Learn More: www.chapman.edu.

About C&C Innovative Solutions

C&C Innovative Solutions empowers first time founders to Start, Launch, & Grow their businesses at any stage and level of experience through strategic coaching, consulting, and partnerships. We developed our Flagship Make an Impact (MAP) Program for founders by founders, to bring ideas to life and provide innovators the resources necessary to MAP their entrepreneurial journeys. Learn more at: https://www.ccinnovativesolutions.org/

About Advance OC

At Advance OC, we envision a world where a person’s zip code does not limit their human potential. Our mission is to use data, innovation, and strategic philanthropy to address the inequities in Orange County communities.

We believe the first step in closing these gaps is to establish a common baseline. By collecting and analyzing local data at the neighborhood level, we hope to bring stakeholders together to create community-centered, equity-focused policy solutions that will improve the health and well-being for everyone in Orange County. For more information: https://www.advanceoc.com/

Kajal Reddy
Chapman University
+1 949-755-9203
email us here
Visit us on social media:
Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn