YEA! Philadelphia (Young Entrepreneurs Academy )

What YEA! Philadelphia (Young Entrepreneurs Academy ) does

YEA! Philadelphia (Young Entrepreneurs Academy) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2013, that operates the first chapter of the national Young Entrepreneurs Academy in Pennsylvania. It delivers a year-long, project-based entrepreneurship education program for middle and high school students (grades 6–12) at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA, running Wednesday evenings from 5:00–8:00 PM, November through May. The program walks students from idea generation through business plan writing, investor pitching, and launching real companies or social movements, and is capped at 18 students per cohort. Signature experiential components include a CEO Roundtable, an Investor Panel where students pitch for startup capital, a Trade Show, and an annual Graduation. Outcomes reported on the organization's site include 100% of students graduating high school on time and going to college, with 57% under-represented minorities, 49% first-generation Americans, and 25% receiving needs-based scholarships.

The organization is funded through a hybrid model: $995 annual tuition per student (with $850 early-bird pricing and a $25 application fee), tiered corporate sponsorships ranging from $1,500 to $20,000, individual donations channeled through fiscal sponsor The Foundation for Delaware County, individual student scholarship sponsorships at $895, and a one-time $1,000 Founding Champions individual giving campaign capped at 100 participants. Named corporate supporters include Wells Fargo, Microsoft, First Resource Bank, DiBruno Brothers, and Freya Systems, alongside local partners such as the Delaware County Chamber of Commerce. The program has produced three national-competition podium finishes (1st place in 2018 and 2022, 3rd place in 2020), and its curriculum and brand standards flow from the University of Rochester–origin national YEA! network. Operations are run by a small team of 8 led by Executive Director Ellen Fisher, with administrative oversight provided by the fiscal sponsor.

Name

YEA! Philadelphia (Young Entrepreneurs Academy )

Legal name

Young Entrepreneurs Academy, Inc.

Website

https://yeaphiladelphia.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YEA! Philadelphia is a Havertown, PA-based nonprofit running a year-long entrepreneurship education program for grades 6–12 students at Eastern University, funded by tuition, corporate sponsorships, and donations through fiscal sponsor The Foundation for Delaware County.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Entrepreneurship Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Youth entrepreneurship education
• Business plan training
• Student startup programs
• Experiential learning programs
• Investor pitch coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Media

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Student Tuition: Annual tuition fees charged to students for participation in the year-long entrepreneurship program, with early bird discounts available.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Multiple sponsorship tiers from Presenting Sponsor ($20,000) down to Trade Show Sponsor ($1,500), providing corporate partners brand exposure and event recognition.
3. Individual Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals and community supporters processed through The Foundation for Delaware County.
4. Scholarship Sponsorships: Individual student scholarship sponsorships at $895 per student, allowing donors to fund specific student's participation.
5. Application Fees: $25 non-refundable application fee charged to student applicants.
6. Founding Champions Program: One-time $1,000 contribution for individuals to become founding champions, with benefits including permanent recognition.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

YEA! Philadelphia delivers a year-long after-school academic program for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) that teaches them to generate business ideas, conduct market research, write a business plan, pitch to investors, obtain startup funding, and launch a real company or social movement. The cohort is capped at 18 students and runs November through May at Eastern University, with weekly classes, a CEO Roundtable, an Investor Panel, a Trade Show, and a Graduation ceremony.

Product overview

YEA! Philadelphia is a single, unified educational program — the Young Entrepreneurs Academy — designed for middle and high school students. The core program runs from November to May at Eastern University and includes structured components: weekly classes, field trips, guest lectures, a CEO Roundtable Event where students interview entrepreneurs, an Investor Panel Event where students pitch for startup funding, a Trade Show for product sales, and a Graduation ceremony. Students receive mentorship, business plan development support, and opportunities to launch actual companies or social movements. Tuition is $995 annually with early bird discounts and needs-based scholarships available.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Young Entrepreneurs Academy Program Year-long after-school academic program for middle and high school students (grades 6-12) that teaches entrepreneurial skills through project-based, hands-on, experiential education; students learn to generate business ideas, conduct market research, write business plans, pitch to investors, obtain startup funding, and launch real companies or social movements.
• Corporate Sponsorship Program Tiered sponsorship offering for companies and organizations to support YEA! Philadelphia in exchange for brand visibility, judging seats, speaker opportunities, logo placement, and recognition at signature events; tiers range from $1,500 (Trade Show Sponsor) to $20,000 (Presenting Sponsor).
• Founding Champions Program One-time $1,000 individual giving program limited to 100 founding supporters, offering permanent recognition on the YEA! Philadelphia website, a certificate, and newsletter subscription.
• Student Application Process Formal application system for prospective students including an online application form, transcript submission, recommendation letters, and a $25 non-refundable application fee, followed by interviews and selection into the annual cohort of up to 18 students.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of YEA! Philadelphia students graduate from high school on time and go to college
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 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 core and minor.

• Young Entrepreneurs Academy (National)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerYEA! Philadelphia is part of the national YEA! program founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with Kauffman Foundation support. The national organization provides curriculum, brand standards, and national competition framework.
• University of RochestercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgram was developed at the University of Rochester with support from a grant from the Kauffman Foundation, establishing the original YEA! curriculum and methodology.
• Eastern UniversitycoreOthersProgram classes are held at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA every Wednesday from 5:00pm to 8:00pm, November through May.
• Delco Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber partner providing networking opportunities and community connections for student entrepreneurs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Enactus (formerly SIFE): International nonprofit mobilizing university students to use entrepreneurship to improve lives and communities. Comparable to YEA! Philadelphia as a mission-aligned entrepreneurship program, though primarily targeting college students and global in scope.
• Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA): National student organization for high school students interested in business and leadership, with competitive events and educational programming. Comparable to YEA! Philadelphia as a complementary youth business skills development pathway, though broader in scope and school-based.
• DECA (Distributive Education Clubs of America): International student organization preparing high school and college students for careers in business, including entrepreneurship, marketing, and finance. Comparable to YEA! Philadelphia as a youth business/entrepreneurship program with competitions, but operates as a school-based chapter model rather than a fee-based year-long program.
• Junior Achievement USA: Largest youth entrepreneurship and financial literacy education provider in the U.S., serving K-12 students through in-class programs, after-school programs, and events. Highly comparable to YEA! Philadelphia because it addresses the same gap (entrepreneurship/financial education for K-12 students), but operates nationally with a much larger program portfolio and staff.

Emerging players

• Kairos Society: Global nonprofit cultivating young entrepreneurs and innovators through programs, competitions, and a global network. Comparable to YEA! Philadelphia as a youth entrepreneurship development organization, though serving an older, more globally distributed student population.
• Lemonade Day: National youth entrepreneurship program that teaches students to start and run a real lemonade stand business. Comparable to YEA! Philadelphia's experiential learning model and youth launch outcomes, though typically aimed at younger students and structured as a one-day community event rather than a year-long program.

Direct peers

• Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): National nonprofit that teaches entrepreneurship to middle and high school students, particularly from underserved communities. Direct competitor to YEA! Philadelphia with comparable target audience, programmatic structure, and mission; competes for similar school partnerships, students, and donor dollars.
• Uncharted Learning (formerly NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation): National nonprofit offering entrepreneurship curriculum and programs for high school students, often through school-based course models. Direct competitor to YEA! Philadelphia in the youth entrepreneurship education space, with comparable curriculum licensing and student launch outcomes.
• BUILD (BUILD.org): National nonprofit providing entrepreneurship education and mentorship to high school students from under-resourced communities. Direct comparable to YEA! Philadelphia because it combines classroom curriculum with real business launch experience, targeting underrepresented youth demographics.

Others

• Young Entrepreneurs Academy (National Organization): National parent organization of YEA! Philadelphia, founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with Kauffman Foundation support. Highly comparable because it provides the curriculum, brand, and national competition framework that YEA! Philadelphia operates under. Effectively a franchisor/network partner rather than a peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/YEAPhiladelphia
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCWC3JaM5HPuFWwbyfAdo--Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/YEAPhiladelphia
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yeaphiladelphia
• Instagraminstagram.com/yeaphiladelphia

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 YEA! Philadelphia (Young Entrepreneurs Academy )