THE INCUBATOR FOR YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS
We aim to spread the passion for GIVING & ENTREPRENEURSHIP to the young generation.
By helping kids execute projects like: running a lemonade stand, designing a toy, publishing a book, or investing in the stock market…
… we teach them principles of pricing, sales, negotiations, how to pitch their ideas, and how to handle rejection.
1st day at Elise & Coco’s yummy tapioca stand… almost sold out already!
Our Beginning
Our 1st project is Elise & Coco’s tapioca stand, where Elise (7 years) and Coco (4 years) sell their favorite dessert (taro & banana tapioca) in their favorite location (Alfalfa) in Hoboken.
Elise had tons of questions and loved learning about:
how to price her tapioca cups
what are her unit costs
what is a retailer’s margin
how to work with designers for branding (stickers are important!)
how to repay her investors (pay interest or take on as partners?)
and how to negotiate rent for her table!
“Elise used to be very timid. Now when a customer turns her down, she quickly shrugs off the rejection!”
— PROUD PARENT
Making a happy face after selling out on the very first day!
The biggest transformation we’ve seen in Elise as her parents is how she presents herself, how she interacts with customers, and how she deals with rejection.
Now she greets everyone who comes in the store with a smile, offers a sample, and if they don’t want one she’s not discouraged… She hits them again with a sample offer on their way out (and she’s converted quite a few of them!)
But perhaps our proudest moment was when she turned down the profits to buy toys and instead wanted to give back. She’d heard of a program in her neighborhood to help boys & girls her age, so we partnered with them to help their standout cause (click below to learn more about their programs).
Working hard on costs, pricing, and unit economics… but there’s always time for some fun too!
What We Do
We work with young entrepreneurs to teach them exactly how to develop their business concept, and then execute the idea!
They get hands-on business experience, running everything from sourcing to negotiations to sales. And then, we spread those lessons through different projects, an academy and supporting community, and local workshops.
The goal is to help young entrepreneurs and their parents work together as a team to learn about business, conceptualize their ideas and EXECUTE!
PROJECTS
Each year we pick a handful of projects where we hand-hold young entrepreneurs in their efforts to build a business around their passions
ACADEMY
We’re developing online courses + a mastermind community, where parent+child teams can learn together and get support to overcome hurdles along the way
WORKSHOP
We’re partnering with organizations to offer local workshops for parent-child teams to learn the ins-and-outs of starting a business together
Elise & Coco’s first project is the tapioca stand. They’re already working on a children’s book. And next year they’re planning to build a YouTube channel and design their own toys. See more of their experience so far… and start thinking about YOUR team’s projects! You will have tons of fun - guaranteed - you will work hard, and you will learn a lot.
See behind the scenes photos from Elise & Coco’s tapioca stand →