Unlocking the potential of the Baton Rouge Area’s young, aspiring entrepreneurs

Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge (YEA BR) transforms area high school students into confident entrepreneurs. Over the academic year and under the instruction of the LSU E. J. Ourso College of Business, select students launch their very own companies by:

• Generating business ideas tied to their interests
• Writing business plans
• Filing their businesses with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s office
• Pitching to a Shark Tank-like investor panel for seed funding

The Academy combines a proven national curriculum with the experiences of Baton Rouge business leaders, educators, community members, and entrepreneurs. Applications are open to students from the nine-parish Baton Rouge Area of Ascension, East Baton Rouge, East Feliciana, Iberville, Livingston, Pointe Coupee, St. Helena, West Baton Rouge and West Feliciana parishes.

YEA BR is made possible through partnerships with:

Mission

Our mission is to unlock the potential of young, aspiring entrepreneurs. The Academy delivers an experience-based entrepreneurship program that:

• Enables students to transform ideas into enterprises, creating both economic and social value
• Creates a culture of innovation throughout the Baton Rouge Area
• Fosters an entrepreneurial mindset in young members of our community

Community ImpaCt

The Academy has a direct impact on the entire Baton Rouge community. The opportunity for local business leaders to pay it forward creates a culture that values investing in our students and our community's future. While students learn to develop and run an enterprise, the local economy enjoys future benefits.   

National Partnerships

Young Entrepreneurs Academy of Baton Rouge is a chapter of the national YEA program which was founded in 2004 at the University of Rochester with support from the Kauffman Foundation.  Thousands of students in 168 communities across the country have graduated from the Academy.

In 2011, the Campaign for Free Enterprise of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce became a national sponsor and partner of YEA to help celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship among today’s youth and tomorrow’s leaders.