imPACTfulCreations by CEOs of Tomorrow will have the grand opening of their new retail space this Saturday, Jan. 22 at the Culture Collectives, located at 444 State Street. Teen Store Managers will be selling their imPACTful Creations kits, designed for children ages 8-14, which contain tools they need to create and launch their own business for social good. The teens will be selling a variety of kits including a Homemade Gummy Candy Business, a Homemade Lotion Business, a Homemade Cookie Creations Business, and a Homemade Candle Business.
Their store will be open on Saturdays, 1-4 p.m. and Sundays, noon-2 p.m. The Teen Store Managers are excited about this opportunity to expand their business and learn in a professional setting.
“I’m most looking forward to just seeing the company branch out because we just had our company location,” said Teen Store Manager Tamea Johnson. “Now we have an actual store where people can come in and buy the boxes instead of ordering online. I’m just excited for the people of Madison to see what we have going on. As a senior in high school, this is a very good thing to say you’ve done. I’m very grateful for this opportunity. It’s a new year, I’ve got a few more months until I leave for college. I’m just excited to see what else I can do. And what we can all do as teen store managers and as employees of this new store.”
The kits also come with a guidebook that teaches steps to choose a business name, design a logo, and build marketing skills. The team at CEOs of Tomorrow are looking forward to seeing how the Teen Store Managers navigate their storefront.
“It has really been a privilege,” said Youth Empowerment Coach Lisa Skar. “It’s been so exciting, working with talented, young, aspiring youth of such high caliber. I’m just so impressed with this group of teens. They’re absolutely amazing. And I mean that genuinely. They bring so much talent and such a variety of skills to the table. They’re committed to excellence. They’re hardworking, they’re just phenomenal. It’s really a reciprocal learning process. Yes, they learn from us, but we also learn from them as well. It’s been really exciting.”
“I think what’s really cool is that the brick-and-mortar storefront offers the youth a chance to be kind of in the hustle and bustle of downtown Madison,” said Youth Empowerment Coach Dayton Yu. “That’s going to be a really awesome experience to be in that kind of environment. As well as showcase their own entrepreneurial skills off to the public.”
The Teen Store Managers are excited to be given this opportunity at such a young age. They understand the importance of operating a storefront and want to learn from this experience.
“One thing I’m looking forward to is being able to get a little bit ahead, compared to where most people would be around my age,” said Teen Store Manager Alonso Avella Sanchez. “Becoming managers for teens is a big responsibility. Even some adults don’t get an opportunity like this. Being 17 years old and getting n opportunity like this is something great and especially will introduce me into the world of professionalism.”
The team emphasized that everyone from CEOs of Tomorrow working on the storefront benefit from this experience. Dr. Roxie Hentz, founder and CEO of CEOs of Tomorrow, is excited to see what these student entrepreneurs bring to the Culture Collectives on State Street.
“One thing that I think is important to note, is this reciprocal benefit of having our teens in the space,” said Hentz. “That’s a typical opportunity adult vendors wouldn’t have. Our youth come with a background in entrepreneurship and recent training. And I think that is great. They’ll bring a breadth of young thinking, innovation, ideas, from what they’ve just learned themselves. While also being in the space to be mentored by other entrepreneurs of color. I think that’s super powerful.
“We have many youths who don’t have a personal connection to entrepreneurs, and it is themselves only that they’re familiar with,” she adds. “Imagine this space, where there’s this dynamic. Where there is learning and opportunities for growth on both ends. They will really bring a dynamic, engaging, and exciting energy to the space. I’m looking forward to seeing them shine once they’re there.”
For more information about CEOs of Tomorrow and the imPACTful Creations Storefront, click here.
