Success in business can come from anywhere and through anyone, but it seems extra special when the story is about a teenager who has defied the odds. Thirteen-year-old Moziah Bridges, CEO of Mo's Bows, has defied the odds that many adult entrepreneurs have succumb to. His company, which handcrafts his personally designed bow ties, has 5 employees and produced $200,000 in sales. Moziah says the motivation behind his passion is:
One thing I really appreciate about him is that he has a big heart to give back to others. He made a special bow tie called the "Go Mo! Scholarship Bow Tie" with 100% of the proceeds going to help underprivileged kids from his hometown of Memphis go to summer camp. He did this because he feels like it’s good business to help the community. He is definitely creating his impact.
This is the type of young person we envision inspiring and supporting through our Kinsman Youth Entrepreneurship Programs. Hopefully we'll have the chance to mentor the next Moziah Bridges. Read more about Moziah at: http://atlantablackstar.com/2015/07/10/13-year-old-ceo-200000-sales/ Our Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp is only a few days away! We're so excited about the opportunity to pour into the lives of young people with the skills of learning how to start and grow their own social entrepreneurship business. During my nearly 10 years as a full-time entrepreneur one of the things that I have grown to appreciate are the transferable principles that I gained as a full-time employee. A few of these principles include preparation, time management, relationship building, work excellence, professionalism, and more are critical to your success as an entrepreneur or an employee. One of the curriculum we are using for our entrepreneurship camp is the first book I wrote, Dream B.I.G. in 3D. This book is targeted to young leaders who searching for their dream job or career path. The principles contained in this book are just as important for job seekers as they are for aspiring entrepreneurs. Here are 9 ways that Dream B.I.G. in 3D can help you score your dream job (or business)…
I like to say that this book will take you on an internal treasure hunt to connect your career path with your purpose. Click here to start your journey...
A satisfied customer is the best form of marketing. So listen to Soraya's testimonial about her experience at last year's Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp. We still have business sponsorships available for you to make a tax-deductible contribution to invest in the lives of at-risk youth, so they can build social entrepreneurship, leadership, and team building skills, among many other things...
A common theme throughout the Bible is that God often used young people to accomplish extraordinary things. A few examples include David, Samuel, Joseph, Solomon, and Esther. If God could use them as He did, why should we look at their potential any differently?
We need to stop looking at young people as problems in our communities and start looking at them as solutions. Teaching them about business and social enterprise is an excellent way to engage their minds, leverage their talents, and utilize their creativity to change their own communities. Inc. My Dream Young Boss Camp for middle and high school students is happening July 13-24 in Atlanta, GA. For more information and sponsorship opportunities please visit www.mykinsman.org/youth How you ever thought about the economic impact your church is having or the potential it could have in your local community? A study that was conducted a few years ago by Ram Cnaan, a researcher from University of Pennsylvania, attempted to quantify the effect that churches had on the local economy in Philadelphia. Extracting data based on the property value, congregant giving, outreach programs, and other church activities, he was able to draw some interesting conclusions in terms of the financial benefit churches brought to that community, which was in the millions of dollars.
After reading the article, I asked myself a question. What if churches became more intentional about becoming economic evangelists by being more concerned with the spiritual and financial well-being of the residents in the communities where they attend service and hopefully are already serving? In Acts 2:42-47 and 6:1-7, we see a church that was able to ensure no one in their community had any lack, spiritually and naturally. I wonder what would happen if churches focused on not giving money away, but truly empowering people through intentional training and discipleship directly connected to their financial sustainability. Whether it be through financial literacy, job skills, or entrepreneurship, churches are in a unique position not to just offer financial training but to include the needed spiritual principles to go along with it. Click here to earn more about the principles of Economic Evangelism. Read the whole article here. What are your thoughts?
Evangel Ministries in Detroit comes from a very different perspective as it relates to transforming lives in their community. They focus on using entrepreneurship to teach work skills and financial literacy, teach congregants on the details of permitting, and even in some cases provide investment capital for particular businesses. Watch this video to learn more about how they engage their community.
This is an excellent example of Economic Evangelism in action. Hopefully more churches will take their lead in the creative strategies they use to empower people. Click here to read the whole story... We know the cost of the fallout is not yet calculated from the aftermath of the events in Ferguson over the past few days. However, what we do know is that the first victims after the verdict was announced were small businesses in the "hot zone" that were burned to the ground. Operation Hope CEO and empowerment advocate John Hope Bryant wrote an article on LinkedIn entitled: "The Second Victim of Ferguson. The Death of Business and Jobs" that highlighted the potential long-term devastating impact of the loss of small businesses. According to Bryant, the specific small businesses that burned down and/or looted included: QuickTrip, Ferguson Market, AutoZone, wireless telephone store, beauty supply store, a public storage, and a BBQ restaurant. Bryant says: "None of these businesses had anything to do with the injustices of Ferguson and its criminal justice system, but many may never open again, or even have a desire to come back. And given that 92% of all jobs in America are private sector, this means that a community that had few jobs before the Michael Brown crisis, now will have significantly less still. This is one reason I'm a huge advocate for entrepreneurship training in urban areas as a vehicle to create opportunities and help lift people out of poverty. Prayerfully Ferguson's entrepreneur community will be able to rebuild with an increased emphasis on more people becoming small business owners. Economic empowerment must become one of the the key aspects of community rebuilding. Click here to read the full article on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/article/20141125191809-23074630-the-second-victim-of-ferguson-the-death-of-business-and-jobs Leave your comments below... |
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