Today, Whole Kids Foundation unveiled the recipients of our first Young Entrepreneurs Pilot Grants aimed at supporting youth-led business programs that are improving the way kids eat through gardening, plant-forward cooking or nutrition education. The two grant recipients received a combined total of $33,000 to help grow their programs.

Whole Kids Foundation launched this pilot program after recognizing the strong and growing kids’ interest in entrepreneurship. In the U.S., 8 in 10 students (77%) in grades 5 – 12 say they want to be their own boss, 45% say they plan to start their own business, and 42% say they will invent something that changes the world, according to the Gallup-HOPE Index.

Meet the 2020 pilot grant recipients:

Rebel Ventures

A high-school student-run nonprofit food enterprise based in Philadelphia that creates affordable, healthy and delicious options for kids in schools and in their communities.

Growing Leaders

As part of The Berkeley Technology Academy Entrepreneurship Program, Growing Leaders works with high school students to develop job readiness skills through the development and testing of their own food businesses.

“This year, it is more important than ever for us to spotlight and support the incredible work and innovation young leaders are driving across the country. It has been such a trying year, we hope that hearing about the wins, challenges and advice directly from other teens will inspire even more young entrepreneurs to continue pursuing their dreams.”
Tristana Pirkl, Whole Kids Foundation Edible Education Programs Leader

To celebrate these young entrepreneurs and help other kids follow in their footsteps, we're teaming up with business sensation Mikaila Ulmer, 16-year-old founder and CEO of Me & the Bees Lemonade, author of the new book Bee Fearless: Dream Like a Kid, and one of TIME magazine’s Top 30 Most Influential Teens, to host a virtual round table of teen business leaders. Mikaila will moderate the event, which will include teen panelists from grant recipients Rebel Ventures and Growing Leaders, as well as Green Garden Bakery and Roots for the Home Team.

The “Dream Like a Teen” Young Entrepreneur Round Table will be held via Zoom on Saturday, Oct. 3, 2020 at 3pm CT.

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All event attendees will receive a digital copy of “The Kidpreneur’s Guide to Building Your Own Buzziness Plan,” a key excerpt from Mikaila’s new book. Ten randomly selected attendees will also receive a gift bag that includes a signed copy of Mikaila’s book, as well as products and recipes from the panelists’ organizations.

Part memoir and part business guide, Bee Fearless shares Mikaila's 10-year entrepreneurial journey to save the bees through her purpose-driven lemonade company and includes key lessons for others who want to follow in her footsteps.

"What started with a lemonade stand in my front yard has taken me across the globe, placed me on stage with the leaders of Fortune 500 companies, thrown me into the “Shark Tank,” and led me to events at the White House and back," said Mikaila. "I actually got my first big retail break at Whole Foods Market, so to be working with its Whole Kids Foundation to help inspire the next generation of changemakers is a real treat."

The book is written with middle-schoolers in mind, but is suitable for all ages, especially those who are looking to become entrepreneurs.