BYEE or Black Youth Entrepreneur Expo, is designed to give young black and brown entrepreneurs an opportunity to create, execute, and showcase their own business, product and/or services.

Brown and black youth between the ages of 5 and 18 who have an entrepreneurial spirit and like to earn money.

If you and your child full embraces the experience, the BYEE will allow participants to: Build their problem solving abilities Boost their creativity Build their communication skills Develop self- confidence Feel more responsibility & independence Learn perseverance & resilience

All participants must complete a registration online and pay their registration fee. See registration links below. Non-Heritage Members Register Here Heritage Members Register Here

Yes, there can be up to three (3) young entrepreneurs per business. A group of up to three should submit one application that includes each child’s information. One (1) business entity per registration form. Up to three (3) entrepreneurs per business entity registration. We are limited to 20 businesses this year, so we strongly recommend siblings team up as a family business or friends team up as a single enterprise. For example, if you have three children that want to sell 3 different products, they would register as the Doe Family Company. At their vendor's table they would sell their 3 products under the same brand, Doe Family Company., i.e. Devin's Donuts by Doe Family Co.

Yes. There is a $15 business registration fee for Heritage Members and a $25 business registration for non-Heritage Members. Registration includes: One (1) Table with chairs Entry into the BYEE Entrepreneurs Competition One (1) BYEE Participation certificate for each business member One (1) raffle ticket for each business member for the BYEE giveaways NO REFUNDS (or credits) will be given for any reason. No exceptions. Registrations can be transferred to a friend by emailing us their name and contact information. Each business registration form can include up to 3 children operating under the single business entity. One (1) business entity per registration form. Up to three (3) entrepreneurs per business entity registration.

Yes. Anyone that plans on registering their business for the BYEE will need to pay the appropriate registration fee for their business. Heritage Members receive a discount for their registration, see the Heritage Members Register Page

As a way to encourage all of our entrepreneurs to strive for their best, each BYEE participant will be automatically entered into the expo competition. Throughout the expo judges will evaluate based on items like, each business's creative, product/service, table presentation, and sales pitch. The competition gives BYEE participants additional recognization for their participation and hard work. Certificates, awards and/or trophies will be given for the following categories: BYEE Participation Certificate One (1) certificate will be awarded to each business member participating in BYEE. Best Table Presentation Ribbon (5-7, 8-10, 11-14, 15-18) One (1) ribbon will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins for their age group. A business with members of mixed ages will be added to the age group that the oldest member falls within. This award will be based on the following criteria: Does the business catch your attention from a distance? Is the business clearly labeled for customers to see? Is the table organized and products are displayed clearly and restocked as needed? Best Food/Beverage Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Does the name of the food match the presentation of the item? Is the flavor profile appropriate for the food item or beverage? Is the food or beverage stored properly? Best Handmade item Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Is this item an original piece made by the entrepreneur? Does the item appear to be durable? Does the cost match the quality? Most Creative Business Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Is this business an innovative new product/service OR an expansion of a pre-existing product/service? Is this business unique to the B.Y.E.E. (are there more vendors offering the same thing)? Does this business require a special skill to create the product? Most Business Potential Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Can this business thrive in other marketplace outlets such as: online/e-commerce, farmer’s markets etc.? Can this business be scaled to hire employees? Does this business have potential to be pitched to receive startup funding in the future?

The BYEE is designed to empower young entrepreneurs by giving them hands-on experience running their own business. Parents must refrain from selling, promoting, or interacting with customers directly during the expo. Any parent found doing so will disqualify their child from the competition. Registration & Participation: Children must be 5 to 18 years old and capable of managing their booth independently (set-up, customer interaction, sales, order fulfillment, and payment handling). Parents may help with the application but should step back during the expo. If a child cannot perform these tasks alone, they should either partner with an older sibling, reduce their offerings, or wait until they are ready. Parent Code of Conduct: Parents cannot engage with customers, handle food or money, or take orders. Parents can assist with restocking products and supervise but must not leave the venue during the event. If the young entrepreneur leaves their booth, a "Be Back Soon" sign should be placed. Selling Rules: Vendors must sell at their table, not walk around. No loud music, yelling, or bartering. Gloves must be worn when handling food. If sold out, display a “Sold Out” sign and enjoy the rest of the event—do not break down early. Clean-Up: Participants are responsible for their own trash and cleaning their area before leaving. Failure to adhere to these rules will result in disqualification from the competition.

Awards and trophies will be given for the following categories: BYEE Participation Certificate One (1) certificate will be awarded to each business member participating in BYEE Best Table Presentation Ribbon (5-7, 8-10, 11-14, 15-18) One (1) ribbon will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins for their age group. A business with members of mixed ages will be added to the age group that the oldest member falls within. This award will be based on the following criteria: Does the business catch your attention from a distance? Is the business clearly labeled for customers to see? Is the table organized and products are displayed clearly and restocked as needed? Best Food/Beverage Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Does the name of the food match the presentation of the item? Is the flavor profile appropriate for the food item or beverage? Is the food or beverage stored properly? Best Handmade item Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Is this item an original piece made by the entrepreneur? Does the item appear to be durable? Does the cost match the quality? Most Creative Business Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Is this business an innovative new product/service OR an expansion of a pre-existing product/service? Is this business unique to the B.Y.E.E. (are there more vendors offering the same thing)? Does this business require a special skill to create the product? Most Business Potential Trophy (All ages) One (1) trophy will be awarded to each business member, if their business wins this category. This award will be based on the following criteria: Can this business thrive in other marketplace outlets such as: online/e-commerce, farmer’s markets etc.? Can this business be scaled to hire employees? Does this business have potential to be pitched to receive startup funding in the future?

The application deadline for entrepreneurs is Friday, April 18th. Space is limited so don't delay.

Children CAN sell handmade, store-bought, food, games or services. NO raw food allowed. NO animals allowed- unfortunately we do not have the capacity to accommodate animals on this campus NO fundraisers allowed. (i.e. Girl Scout and/or Boy Scout products). NO CBD products. Children may NOT sell goods on behalf of their parents. Children must have an active role in the acquisition and/or production of their product.

Healthy business competition can promote innovation. We allow the customers and market forces to run its course when dealing with two of the same kinds of business ideas at the expo. Although we do not restrict multiple businesses that are similar, we will inform the later applicant that another entrepreneur has a similar business. This will allow the later applicant an opportunity to decide if they would like to make any adjustments to their business plan.

Electrical outlets are limited. Vendors can request outlet access on their application, and assignments will be made based on submission order. You will be notified via email in advance if an outlet is available for your booth.

Absolutely, here are a few helpful resources that will help your child learn more about entrepreneurship and help get their creative business juices flowing. The Legacy Collective Offerings: TLC is offering an Young Tycoons & Entrepreneurs during the Spring semester. This 9-session class students will learn how to develop creative business ideas, pitch and sell their concepts, and understand the essentials of managing a business. Key topics include budgeting, personal savings, expense tracking, revenue calculation, and crafting a solid business plan. Entrepreneurship Resources: https://kidpreneurs.org/basic-business-terms-kidpreneurs-should-know/ https://kidpreneurs.org/kidpreneurs-business-ideas/ https://www.gohenry.com/us/blog/money-management/the-gohenry-guide-to-entrepreneurship Business Ideas: https://www.signupgenius.com/Business/kid-entrepreneur-ideas.cfm https://wedevs.com/blog/463195/school-market-day-ideas/

Absolutely. Those that would like to attend the BYEE can register for their free ticket beginning April 1st. Although BYEE is free to attend, we ask that all attendees be prepared to spend between $5-$20 with our young entrepreneurs.