It isn’t just adults who get an idea for an invention or business.
Young people in the region have invented toys and Christmas ornament anchors, and have even appeared on the popular show “Shark Tank.”
Collab, a program that supports early-stage entrepreneurs, recently announced it has launched a Collab Youth Accelerator, aimed at helping high school-age students in the Greater New Haven area.
Dawn Leaks, Collab’s executive director, said the organization, which was founded in 2017, prioritizes equity and inclusion, so it aligns with its mission to “support the next generation of entrepreneurs.”
“If we want entrepreneurship to be a career pathway accessible to everyone, that means supporting youth in building those critical mindsets, skills, and confidence at an early age,” Leaks said.
The Collab Youth Accelerator will be an eight-week summer program, with this year’s inaugural cohort to run from June 20 through Aug. 15.
Between 25 and 30 high school students from the Greater New Haven area can participate.
The accelerator will feature a weekly entrepreneurship 101 curriculum, as well as one-on-one coaching with Collab staff.
The youth entrepreneurs will visit relevant area programs such as makerspaces and coworking spaces. They also will have opportunities to shadow successful graduates of Collab’s accelerators. The program will finish with a graduation ceremony.
The goal, according to Collab, is to teach young people about the career pathway of entrepreneurship, while also building confidence through peer and mentor relationships.
Collab has helped young entrepreneurs before. In the summer of 2021, the organization had small entrepreneurship programs for young people, with support of the United Way of Greater New Haven.
This new, expanded Youth Accelerator was designed based on feedback from students who participated in last summer’s programming.
George Black, manager of the Collab Youth Accelerator, said the organization conducted dozens of interviews and focus groups with youth entrepreneurs for input. The program is already being met with excitement and enthusiasm, he said.
The registration deadline is June 1. Visit https://collabnewhaven.org/youthaccelerator for more information and to register.
Contact Michelle Tuccitto Sullo at msullo@newhavenbiz.com.
