Littlest Entrepreneurs

It’s never too early to be an entrepreneur.

That’s why the Cyvia and Melvyn Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship and a neighboring Blackshear Elementary School joined forces to teach the foundations of starting a business to a group of local fifth graders at this month’s Wolffest.

Inspired to spread entrepreneurship throughout Houston, Wolff Center Director of Community Outreach Danna Ceron (BBA ‘20) worked with the students for months as they prepared to launch The Thirst Quenchers, a modern twist on a lemonade stand. Once their debut came at the on-campus food festival, the fifth graders marketed and sold their flavored lemonades to the enthusiastic Wolffest crowd.

“This was the perfect opportunity for the elementary students to learn more about entrepreneurship and get involved with the community, and for our program to be able to give back,” Ceron said. “All the proceeds that they collect by selling lemonade will go back to their school for their after-school programs and field trips.”

Starting in January, Ceron made visits to the students’ school regularly and taught them about revenue, pricing and marketing.

“This goes back to the Wolff Center’s vision to inspire young entrepreneurs to think, lead and connect,” she said. “We're not only talking about it but helping students set up their own business here.”

The student’s after-school entrepreneurship lessons were also taught by teacher Lisa Ivy and the nonprofit The Parent Teacher Collaborative. They said this experience challenged students to work as a team and have productive discussions.

“It's so important for young people to have a taste of what it's like to have an idea and bring it to life,” The Parent Teacher Collaborative Executive Director Jessica Faith Carter said. “They’ve been working all semester to get to this point. It's a huge learning experience to encourage them that it's never too early to start thinking about an entrepreneurial path.”

Taking orders and greeting interested patrons was fifth grader Tristen Ivory, accompanied by his mother Chazelle Fields. Ivory said he’s not sure if he wants to start his own business in the future, but he enjoyed running the lemonade stand with his classmates.

“It feels nice and is new to me because I never did entrepreneurship before,” Ivory said. “This gave me the chance to experience it.”

“It's very awesome that they're getting the opportunity to learn entrepreneurship,” Fields said. “It's also letting them know about the value of teamwork and that it doesn't work unless you work together.”