What Young Entrepreneur Institute does

Young Entrepreneur Institute (YEI) is a nonprofit K-12 entrepreneurship education organization that operates as a division of University School, a private K-12 boys school in Hunting Valley, Ohio. Founded in 2006 by Greg Malkin, YEI delivers curriculum, programs, and professional development that equip students in grades K-12 with entrepreneurial mindset skills such as creative problem solving, public speaking, financial literacy, teamwork, and presentation. Its core student-facing programs include the Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge, Young Entrepreneur Market, EntrepreNew Pathways curriculum, NextStage Fellowship, and One Day Events (Teen Accelerate, Celebrate Youth Entrepreneurship, ideaLabs). Educator offerings include monthly Power Hours webinars and the annual Enspire Conference. Resource products include the YIPPEE Exchange marketplace, downloadable Toolkits, Power Hour Episodes recordings, a Guest Speakers directory, and an Entrepreneurship Directory, all freely available.

YEI's technology footprint is intentionally light: the YIPPEE Exchange functions as a curated digital marketplace, and toolkits are delivered as downloadable resources, but the organization does not operate software products or AI-driven platforms. Distribution is split between a direct service model in two regional offices (Northeast Ohio and Northwest Arkansas) and a national technical assistance role for the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation's 50-State Afterschool Network, which leverages a train-the-trainer model for out-of-school time programs. The reported 2024-2025 footprint reached 7,971 students, 1,745 educators and community partners, and 1,195 schools and organizations, with a broader network of 1,813+ schools across all 50 states plus DC and internationally.

YEI's business model is freemium by design: all programs, curriculum, and services are provided at no cost to K-12 schools and organizations. Operating revenue is sourced from foundation grants and charitable donations rather than fees. Core funders include University School (which provides in-kind office space and operational support as host institution), Burton D. Morgan Foundation (founding external funder), Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (50-state network technical assistance partner), and Walton Family Foundation (Northwest Arkansas expansion). Additional funding flows from the Veale Foundation, Nordson, Martha Holden Jennings Foundation, Harvard Business School Club of Northeast Ohio, and individual Leadership Donors. The organization is privately held with no external equity investors and is not publicly listed.

Name

Young Entrepreneur Institute

Legal name

Young Entrepreneur Institute (division of University School)

Website

https://youngentrepreneurinstitute.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Young Entrepreneur Institute is a nonprofit K-12 entrepreneurship education organization, operating as a division of University School, that provides free curriculum, student programs, and educator professional development to schools and out-of-school time organizations across the United States, primarily in Northeast Ohio and Northwest Arkansas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Marketing, Branding & Sales Skills (EDAMAHAG)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship education
• K-12 curriculum
• Educator professional development
• Experiential learning programs
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Chagrin Falls

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation Grants and Donations: YEI operates as a nonprofit organization supported primarily through foundation grants and charitable donations. Major funders include University School (which provides office space and operational support), Walton Family Foundation (for Northwest Arkansas expansion), Charles Stewart Mott Foundation (50-state Afterschool Network technical assistance), Burton D. Morgan Foundation (founding funder), and other community foundations. All services are provided to schools and organizations at no cost.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Young Entrepreneur Institute provides free K-12 entrepreneurship education programs, curriculum, and educator professional development to schools and organizations across the United States. Its offerings span student programs (pitch challenges, market opportunities, fellowships, one-day events, full-year curricula) and educator services (consulting, professional development, monthly webinars, annual conference, downloadable toolkits, and the YIPPEE Exchange resource marketplace). All programs are delivered at no cost to participating K-12 schools and organizations.

Product overview

Young Entrepreneur Institute is a K-12 entrepreneurship education organization that operates as a platform of interconnected programs and services. The core student programs include the Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge, Young Entrepreneur Market, EntrepreNew Pathways, NextStage Fellowship, and One Day Events (Teen Accelerate, Celebrate Youth Entrepreneurship, ideaLabs). Educator offerings include monthly Educator Power Hours webinars and the annual Enspire Conference. Resource offerings include the YIPPEE Exchange marketplace, downloadable Toolkits, Power Hour Episodes recordings, Guest Speakers directory, Games & Contests, and an Entrepreneurship Directory. Support services include Connecting & Advising, Professional Development, and Out-of-School Time technical assistance. All programs and services are provided at no cost to schools and organizations serving children in grades K-12, primarily serving Northeast Ohio with expansion to Northwest Arkansas.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YIPPEE Exchange: A one-stop shop for educators to find curated experiences that build entrepreneurial skills and connect students with real-world entrepreneurs, offering field trips, workshops, lesson plans, and other resources.
• Enspire Conference
• Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge
• Young Entrepreneur Market
• EntrepreNew Pathways
• Educator Power Hours

Products and services

• Young Entrepreneur Pitch Challenge
• Young Entrepreneur Market
• EntrepreNew Pathways
• NextStage Fellowship
• One Day Events
• Educator Power Hours
• Enspire Conference
• Connecting & Advising
• Professional Development
• Out-of-School Time Technical Assistance

Quantifiable outcome

• 7,971 students participated in YEI programming in 2024-2025 school year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• University SchoolflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2006University School is YEI's founding partner and host institution. Founded in 1963, University School provides office space, operational support, and serves as YEI's laboratory for curriculum development. Over half of University School's student body participates in YEI activities. YEI operates as a division of University School, making all services free to schools and organizations.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYEI collaborates with NFTE as part of the consortium administering the Mott Million Dollar Challenge. NFTE is a key partner in youth entrepreneurship education nationally, and YEI works with NFTE and other organizations to support the 50-state network.
• VentureLabminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth entrepreneurship education organization that YEI collaborates with as part of the consortium administering the Mott Million Dollar Challenge and other national initiatives.
• Afterschool AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational organization that YEI partners with as part of the Mott Foundation's 50-State Afterschool Network for youth entrepreneurship education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE is the leading U.S. nonprofit delivering youth entrepreneurship education to middle and high school students, with national brand and a global footprint. It is both a direct competitor in curriculum/pitch competitions and a partner in the Mott Million Dollar Challenge consortium alongside YEI.
• VentureLab: VentureLab is a youth entrepreneurship education nonprofit delivering curriculum and programs to K-12 students and educators nationally. It co-administers the Mott Million Dollar Challenge with YEI and competes for the same foundation dollars, school districts, and educator mindshare.
• BizWorld Foundation: BizWorld Foundation delivers project-based entrepreneurship programs and curriculum to elementary and middle school students, including its flagship BizWorld and BizWiz programs. It is directly comparable to YEI in targeting K-12 students with free, foundation-supported entrepreneurship curriculum.

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement: Junior Achievement is the largest U.S. nonprofit focused on K-12 financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship education, reaching millions of students annually. It overlaps with YEI's entrepreneurship curriculum and pitch-event offerings but operates at vastly greater scale and broader scope (financial literacy, career exploration).
• DECA: DECA is a national career and technical student organization for high school and college students with a strong focus on marketing, entrepreneurship, and business management. While it operates more as an extracurricular student org than a curriculum provider, it competes for the same educator time slots and student engagement.
• 4-H: 4-H is the largest U.S. youth development organization and runs entrepreneurship and financial literacy programming through its Cooperative Extension network. It competes for the same out-of-school time slots and educator attention as YEI's afterschool and OST offerings.
• Ashoka: Ashoka is a global organization focused on social entrepreneurship, including the Ashoka Youth Venture and Changemaker programs that build entrepreneurial skills in K-12 youth. It is a broader incumbent operating in adjacent entrepreneurship-education space with deeper global reach.

Emerging players

• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national nonprofit providing out-of-school programming for girls including entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and leadership components. It overlaps with YEI's audience and content themes but specializes in single-gender programming.
• Enactus: Enactus (formerly SIFE) is an international nonprofit engaging college students in social entrepreneurship projects with K-12 outreach components. It is a thematic peer in the youth entrepreneurship ecosystem but operates primarily at the postsecondary level.
• Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education: The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education is a Columbus, Ohio-based national network advancing entrepreneurship education across all grade levels, frequently referenced in the field as an ecosystem convener. It is a peer in the same K-12 entrepreneurship education ecosystem and overlaps on convening and resource curation.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/young-entrepreneur-institute

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Young Entrepreneur Institute