KidBiz Con 2018, a free annual conference sponsored by the Youth Entrepreneur Institute (YEI), convened Tuesday on the campus of George Washington University in northwest D.C., where area youth were taught the ins and outs of owning and operating a business.
KidBiz Con, one of the many programs offered by YEI, was founded in 2015 to address the ongoing lack of entrepreneurial services available to D.C. youth, particularly those living in Wards 6, 7 and 8.
According to YEI, petty crime is one of the leading causes of incarceration for young people in D.C. ages 14-24, and many of such arrests are consequences of individuals becoming involved in illegal and unsavory activities as a means to make money.
“We are really looking forward to the second installment of the KidBiz Con” said YEI founder Tacharna Crump. “In 2017 we had nearly 300 eager students, and this year we have certainly grown. We are expecting as many as 500 area youth. We have assembled an A-team of community and business owners to not only motivate our youth, but to give them with what they need to be successful entrepreneurs.”
At the end of the daylong conference, students who have been part of YEI’s previous camps and workshops were to compete in a $1,000 pitch competition.