/EINPresswire.com/As part of National Entrepreneurship Month (November 2011), proclaimed by President Obama, Megan Duckett, president of Sew What? Inc. spoke to a group of Los Angeles County middle school students about her experience turning a home-based business into a thriving enterprise. The event was sponsored by the NFTE – Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship, a non-profit organization whose mission is to inspire young people from low-income communities to find their paths to success.
Speaking to 20 future entrepreneurs, ages 12 – 14 at Davis Middle School in Compton, California, Ms. Duckett discussed the challenges of creating a small business, from concept to revenue-producing. She described her path beginning as a 19-year-old Australian immigrant as she developed her own business started in the kitchen of her home, and leading into one of the pre-eminent manufacturers of theatrical drapes for the entertainment industry today.
She challenged the young people to think outside the box in order to see new opportunities and as potential youth entrepreneurs. As an exercise, she and Sew What? teammate Kimberly Lee, invited the students to imagine what they could do with rock and roll t-shirts. They came up with ideas for turning the shirts into purses, folder covers and a host of other innovative applications. She said that creativity is about taking what is already available and turning it into something different and saleable.
“I love helping kids see opportunities they could easily overlook, if they are just inspired to think beyond their own situations,” said Ms. Duckett. “It’s so much fun working with kids and challenging them, involving them, helping them realize their own potentials for success!”
Ms. Duckett, who has been lauded numerous times for her innovation and entrepreneurial success, including being named Dell’s Small Business Entrepreneur of the Year, frequently speaks to groups and organizations nationwide. But she says that working with young people has a special place in her heart, and is her means of giving back to the community. Youth entrepreneurship and entrepreneurial training, is a personal priority that can improve lives, communities and the nation.
“Some of these kids have added challenges. But like my own story as an immigrant, they can succeed if they can see that others have done it despite the obstacles,” she added.
ABOUT The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): Founded in New York City in 1987 by Steve Mariotti, a former entrepreneur turned high school math teacher in the South Bronx, NFTE began as a program to prevent dropouts and improve academic performance among students who were at risk of failing or quitting school. To date, NFTE has worked with nearly 350,000 young people from low-income communities in programs across the U.S. and around the world.
ABOUT Sew What? Inc.:
Sew What? Inc., located in Rancho Dominguez, CA, is well-known for its dramatic theatrical drapes and fabrics used in major rock concerts, top fashion shows and other artistic staged venues. The company has received numerous awards for innovation, including the Dell/NFIB Small Business Excellence Award as well as PC Magazine’s SMB 20 Award for technological innovation for small and medium-sized businesses, and was featured on the 1000th cover of Rolling Stone. For information, contact Sew What, Inc. at (310) 639-6000, or [email protected].
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