Ernest Ruffin Jr., founder of the YES Business Plan Challenge, brought his program for the first time to the island of St. John to teach kids grades 6-12 about business and economic development.
The kids broke into teams of four and spent a week learning about and creating a business plan of their own. On the final day of the program, these young entrepreneurs presented their plans to a panel of judges hoping to take home the title of winner. The winning team received $200 cash per person and a trip to St. Croix to compete against the winning teams from across the US, a team from London and teams from St. Thomas and St. Croix.
Attori Charles is the CFO of her team’s company, Meclo. The team from Meclo was first to present their business idea and plan as part of the YES Business Plan Challenge brought to St. John by its founder Ernest Ruffin Jr. Other members of that team include Rakim Alford, Ke’Shari Huggins, and Debowa Romain. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)CFO of Meclo, Ke’Shari Huggins, 12, has her turn in front of her classmates to talk about the marketing strategy and research the team has done in preparation for this presentation at the Sprauve School on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Ernest Ruffin Jr. is a veteran businessman, having run and taught business for most of his career. He is an adjunct professor at Rutgers University in New Jersey and started the YES Business Plan Challenge in 2014 to empower the youth and give them the professional tools needed to be successful entrepreneurs. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)After giving the team presentation about their business, Finishing Touches, U’Shae Peters, with teammate K’nia Lindo, take questions from the audience made up of their peers and judges in the YES Business Plan Challenge on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)St. John students, grades 6-12, participated in the YES Business Plan Challenge, hoping to win the $200 prize and a chance to compete against other teams on St. Croix in November. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Owner of Bookstore 340 on St. Thomas, Pam Richards, posed important questions and shared meaningful advice with the YES Business Plan Challenge participants on St. John. She was also one of the judges helping to decide who the winning team would be. (Photo By Nancy Borowick)Team members of the company, You Need Therapy, present their business plan to a panel of judges, and their peers, during the YES Business Plan Challenge program on St. John at the Sprauve School. The students on this team are Trevor Tyrell Jr., 11, Bobbi Otto, 12, Yarianna Mercedes, 13, and Delancy Gervilus, 13. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)VIPD Capt. Sandra Colbourne, who also serves as president of the Institute for Social Change, cheered on the students as they gave their presentations during the YES Business Plan Challenge program that took place on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)With a little help from the organizer Ernest Ruffin Jr., Blend Bar team members Ledisi Liburd, Mariah Belen, O’neya Thomas, and Julia Franzua carefully share the facts and numbers of their smoothie business while presenting the plan at the YES Business Plan Challenge event on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Judge Lorelei Monsanto listens to the students as they present their business plans during the YES Business Plan Challenge competition on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)With the support of her teammates, Julia Franzua, not a native English speaker, works to present her part, in English, during the YES Business Plan Challenge program on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Judges in the YES Business Plan Challenge on St. John take careful notes while watching the students, in teams of four, present their ideas and work. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Delancey Gervilus, 13, watched her fellow classmates present their business ideas as part of the YES Business Plan Challenge on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Lisa Penn, a retired educator, joined the YES Business Plan Challenge judges panel on St. John to share ideas, and some laughs, during the competition. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)One of the judges on the panel at the YES Business Plan Challenge on St. John was Dior Parsons, president of Society 340, which is a non-profit that focuses on workforce development, empowerment, and education for the youth and young adults in the Virgin Islands. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Ian Samuel, partner of Island Hope Wines on St. John, was one of the judges in the YES Business Plan Challenge Competition. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Ernest Ruffin Jr., founder of the YES Business Plan Challenge. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Team You Need Therapy won second place for their business plan during the YES Business Plan Challenge on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)The members of Blend Bar could not contain their excitement when they learned they won first prize in the YES Business Plan Challenge on St. John. Not only did they win the title, but each student on the team won $200 and a trip to St. Croix to compete against other teams for a bigger title and bigger prize. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)Team Blend Bar was beaming with pride and excitement upon learning they won first prize in the YES Business Plan Challenge competition on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)While there could only be one 1st prize winner, fun was had by all involved in the 2023 YES Business Plan Challenge competition at the Sprauve School on St. John. (Photo by Nancy Borowick)
