Youth About Business

What Youth About Business does

Youth About Business (YAB) is a 501(c)-style non-profit founded in 1992 by Samuel E. Kirk in Nashville, Tennessee, providing business literacy and leadership development programming to high school students (and, via the Entrepreneurial Training Program, students aged 10-14). Its core product is a multi-tier experiential curriculum anchored by a merger and acquisition simulation in which student teams research public companies, build pitch materials, and present to corporate executives, with the top team at Championship Camp receiving actual shares of stock in a publicly traded company. Programming is delivered through two principal channels: in-person summer camps hosted at Vanderbilt, Columbia, and Emory universities, and the YAB Online Business Academy, launched in 2020 to provide virtual cohort-based instruction. Add-on offerings include the Wall Street Conference (NYC), the Healthcare Conference (Nashville), the year-round Leadership Development Program, and the Entrepreneurial Training Program with student-managed business training centers.

The revenue model is a hybrid of program fees, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations. Student program fees are tiered by household income — Access Scholarship ($750 for camp), Partial Scholarship ($1,500), and Standard Rate ($3,000) — with a $99 introductory Business Economy of America Seminar as the funnel entry point. Corporate sponsorships range from $5,000 (Event Sponsor) to $1,000,000 (Strategic Partnership), underwriting student participation and providing executive mentors in exchange for CSR visibility and resume access. The organization reports that 90% of participants attend college and 70% study business majors, and is committing $300,000 in scholarships for 2026. Customer concentration is distributed across families, corporations, and individual donors, with no single name dominating current revenue.

The underlying technology stack is entirely third-party: JotForm for registration, Stripe for payments, WordPress for the website, and YouTube/LinkedIn for content and alumni networking. There is no proprietary technology platform, no AI/ML capabilities, and no API surface. The competitive moat is built on three decades of brand equity, a sticky alumni network of 400+ professionals, and a deep roster of corporate partners (Moody's, Deloitte, JPMorgan, Bloomberg, Apple, Sony, Nestlé, Nomura, SunTrust, BankUnited, Alston & Bird, Mayer Brown) that provide site visits, executive mentors, and credibility. Cumulative reach exceeds 8,000 students since 1992, with a claimed 9,000+ student and alumni network.

Name

Youth About Business

Legal name

Youth About Business

Website

https://youthaboutbusiness.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Youth About Business is a 1992-founded Nashville non-profit that delivers experiential business literacy and leadership programming — including M&A simulations, summer camps, and conferences — to U.S. high school students, funded by student fees, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations, with a 9,000+ student and alumni network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Business Education Services

NAICS

Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Professional and Management Development Training (61143)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Business Incubators & Accelerators (EDAMAHAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship, Business & Innovation Camps (EDAMALAL), Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB), Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Youth business education
• Leadership development programs
• Experiential learning services
• Student enrichment programs
• Nonprofit education services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nashville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Program Fees: Tuition-based revenue from students participating in programs including Summer Business Camp, Conference Experiences, Business Economy Seminar, and Leadership Development. Pricing tiers include Standard, Partial Scholarship, and Access Scholarship rates based on household income.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate strategic partnerships ranging from $1,000,000 (Strategic Partnership) to $5,000 (Event Sponsor), providing student sponsorship, branding opportunities, and executive volunteer access. Platinum ($100,000) and Gold ($50,000) sponsorship levels include specific deliverables like student underwriting and resume access.
3. Individual Donations: Individual contributor programs including 'All Things Possible Believers' ($5,000), 'Achieving the Impossible' ($3,500), 'Friends of Youth About Business' ($1,200 annual), and recurring monthly options. One-time gifts also accepted.
4. Alumni Contributions: Alumni who have built successful businesses contribute financially to support ongoing programming and help grow leadership development capacities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Youth About Business is a nonprofit that delivers business literacy, leadership, and career-preparation programs to high school students through summer camps, conferences, online academy courses, and year-round leadership and entrepreneurial training. Its core methodology is an experiential merger and acquisition simulation delivered in partnership with corporate executives and hosted at partner universities and corporate headquarters.

Product overview

Youth About Business operates as a modular educational platform offering multiple interconnected programs for high school students. The core offering consists of the YAB Online Academy as the primary delivery mechanism, with the Business Economy of America Seminar serving as the entry point. Students can progress through Summer Business Camp (M&A simulation) and advance to Championship Camp, while accessing add-on conferences (Healthcare and Wall Street). The Leadership Development Program and Entrepreneurial Training Program provide year-round engagement, with the Alumni Chapter maintaining lifelong connections. All programs connect students with senior-level executives and corporate mentors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• YAB Online Academy: Virtual business education platform offering programs to students from across the world with access to business professionals as teachers and mentors.
• Summer Business Camp
• Championship Camp
• Entrepreneurial Training Program
• Leadership Development Program
• Healthcare Conference
• Wall Street Conference
• Business Economy of America Seminar

Products and services

• YAB Online Academy Virtual business education platform providing immersive business education experiences and connecting students worldwide with prominent business leaders through instruction and mentorship.
• Business Economy of America Seminar Introductory 2-day virtual seminar that helps teens build confidence with personal finances, leadership skills, and professionalism, led by senior executives; serves as the entry point into the YAB Leadership Development Program.
• Summer Business Camp Intensive week-long merger and acquisition simulation camp where students form teams advised by industry professionals to learn complex business transactions, research and analyze public companies, and compete in a simulated M&A competition.
• Championship Camp Advanced invitational camp where top-performing teams from Summer Business Camp compete in more complex M&A simulations, working closely with prominent business professionals to refine their presentations.
• Healthcare Conference 3-day conference in Nashville exploring careers in healthcare, where students tour major healthcare companies, attend seminars with senior executives, and experience the healthcare business world.
• Wall Street Conference 3-day conference in New York City providing access to Wall Street and top finance firms, including corporate HQ tours, speaker sessions, and career exploration in global finance.
• Leadership Development Program Year-round program covering financial topics to expand students' business and financial knowledge, with monthly meetings and quarterly sessions led by senior-level executives, covering Personal Finance, FinTech, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Career Preparation, Corporate Structure, and Professional Skills Development.
• Entrepreneurial Training Program Foundational program teaching students about investments and business, meeting twice monthly to review business curriculum with guest speakers and financial advisors; students operate actual training centers (bargain centers, dinner house, technology, and real estate centers) to apply theoretical training.
• Alumni Chapter Lifelong network connecting all YAB alumni for professional development, allowing them to share job openings, resumes, and stay connected with fellow program participants; alumni can mentor current students and contribute to program growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% of YAB participants go on to attend college
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered moderate, core and minor.

• SonymoderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 19 May 2020Sony published a press release about the Youth About Business Online Business Academy in May 2020, providing PR coverage and legitimacy for the virtual program launch.
• Moody's CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMoody's Corporation has hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students and provides executive mentors. Michael Rowan from Moody's serves as a YAB Mentor. Partnership provides internship, mentorship, and resources to help students make better career decisions.
• Vanderbilt UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorically hosted YAB Summer Camps at Vanderbilt University facilities. Provides campus access and institutional credibility for program delivery.
• Columbia Business SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColumbia Business School hosted Northeast Summer Business Camp sessions. Professor from Columbia Business School Private Equity Course invited female students to participate in Private Equity Conference at Ernst & Young.
• Emory UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmory University has historically hosted YAB Summer Camps, providing campus facilities and institutional backing.
• DeloittecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeloitte hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students as part of corporate engagement programming. Provides professional volunteers and industry exposure.
• JP MorgancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJP Morgan hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students. Part of financial services industry engagement with the program.
• Bloomberg LPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBloomberg hosted select YAB students during Wall Street Conference at their national headquarters in NYC. Students learned to perform stock pitches with Bloomberg executives.
• ApplecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApple executive visited Championship Camp presentations in Cupertino. Select students presented to Apple's top executives during 2015 program.
• Mayer BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal law firm Mayer Brown hosted Northeast Basic Camp student presentations at their firm. Students presented to a panel of esteemed judges.
• Mayer BrowncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErnst & Young hosted students from Wall Street Conference at Private Equity Conference. Female students from YAB were invited to participate.
• Nestlé Waters North AmericamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerNestlé Waters joined as a YAB sponsor. Partnership ties to Nestlé's Project Opportunity, a global career acceleration initiative helping people gain work experience and professional development skills.
• Nomura Holdings Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNomura hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students as part of corporate engagement programming.
• SunTrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSunTrust (now Truist) hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students. Part of financial services industry engagement.
• BankUnitedcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBankUnited hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students.
• Alston & BirdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlston & Bird hosted annual career luncheons for YAB students.
• Aloft Nashville West EndminorOthersHotel partner for Nashville-based Healthcare Conference accommodations.
• Hyatt on the Hudson, Jersey CityminorOthersHotel partner for New York City-based Wall Street Conference accommodations.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Girls Inc. Girls Inc. is a national non-profit inspiring all girls to be strong, smart, and bold through after-school programming that includes financial literacy and entrepreneurship components. While broader in scope (general youth development), it competes for corporate partners and supports youth financial-literacy outcomes similar to YAB's mission.
• Junior Achievement USA: Junior Achievement is the largest U.S. non-profit dedicated to inspiring youth business readiness through K-12 programs including finance, entrepreneurship, and work-readiness curricula. Like YAB, it delivers experiential learning via classroom, after-school, and event formats with corporate partner support, but operates at significantly greater scale and breadth.
• Boys & Girls Clubs of America: Boys & Girls Clubs provides out-of-school programming for youth nationwide, including financial-literacy curricula (Money Matters) and career exploration. It competes for corporate sponsors seeking youth-workforce development exposure and offers a comparable scale of youth reach.
• National 4-H Council: 4-H is the largest youth development organization in the U.S., offering experiential programs in career readiness, financial literacy, and entrepreneurship. It serves a similar rural and underserved demographic with comparable university-extension partnership models.

Direct peers

• DECA (formerly Distributive Education Clubs of America): DECA is a student organization preparing emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management for careers. Its competitive events, conferences, and chapter-based model directly parallel YAB's Summer Business Camp, Championship, and Wall Street Conference structure, serving a similar high-school demographic.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA): FBLA is the largest career-oriented student business organization in the U.S., offering competitions, leadership conferences, and business curriculum for middle and high school students. It competes for the same student demographic and sponsors as YAB, with a similarly structured competitive-events model.
• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): NFTE is a non-profit that activates the entrepreneurial mindset in young people from low-income communities through school-based curricula, pitch competitions, and summer programs. Its youth entrepreneurship focus, business-pitch competitions, and underserved-student mission align closely with YAB.
• BUILD (Building a United Independent Leadership through Diversity): BUILD is a non-profit that uses entrepreneurship education to propel underserved youth toward higher education and careers. Its experiential model — students launching real businesses supported by mentors and corporate partners — mirrors YAB's approach to combining classroom learning with corporate executive engagement.

Emerging players

• Invest in Girls: Invest in Girls is a non-profit focused on financial-literacy education for high school girls through classroom programs and a flagship Summer Investment Institute. While narrower in scope (financial literacy vs. broader business), it targets a similar demographic with similar experiential summer-program and corporate-volunteer engagement models.
• Wharton Global Youth Program: The Wharton Global Youth Program offers pre-college business programs for high school students, including the Wharton Moneyball Academy and Leadership in the Business World summer camps hosted at the University of Pennsylvania. It competes with YAB's Summer Business Camp for the same aspirational high-school demographic and corporate-mentor attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC_eMOYBOv2bE-3xQPrXH7Rg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/groups?mostRecent=&gid=6792355&trk=my_groups-tile-flipgrp
• Xx.com/yableaders
• Facebookfacebook.com/YouthAboutBusiness

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Youth About Business