Staten Island Teen Founder Program Returns With $10,220 Funding Track Record

The Staten Island Chamber of Commerce distributed $10,220 to student founders last year, fully funding five teenage-run startups — and applications for the next round of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy just opened.

The program, known as YEA!, is back on Staten Island for its 13th year. The Chamber brought the national initiative to the borough in 2013, and it has one job: turn teenagers' business ideas into registered, operating businesses before they graduate high school.

Students move through the full startup cycle. They develop an idea, conduct market research, write a business plan, build a brand, develop a product, and pitch real investors for actual startup funding. Classes run Wednesdays from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Chamber of Commerce, starting in December and running through early May.

Applications close Nov. 27 at sichamber.com/yea.

Who do the students actually meet?

The program connects participants with 75 local business leaders over the course of the year. That access is deliberate, said YEA! Program Manager Danielle Wiseman.

"So we put them in front of really, really high-level CEOs, executive directors, leaders of nonprofit organizations, things like that on purpose because we want to expose the kids to a bunch of different career pathways," Wiseman said.

"They're being exposed to industry professionals that they won't be exposed to until they graduate from college," she added.

In short: the networking happens years early.

What tools come with it?

Participants get access to Staten Island Academy's Innovation Lab, where they can turn ideas into working product prototypes.

"Staten Island Academy's Makerspace gives the kids access to a bunch of different tools and resources," Wiseman said.

"If you don't know how to sew or you don't know how to laser cut or 3D print, we will work with you to kind of make that happen," she said. "And that's all free of charge."

Training on the equipment is included, so no prior maker skills are required.

What did last year's class achieve?

Five students from the most recent cohort received full funding for their startups, backed by the $10,220 the Chamber distributed.

The 2025-2026 Staten Island Investor Panel winner was Rami Rifi, a current senior at Staten Island Academy in Todt Hill. His funded idea became the Play Passion Project, a nonprofit that collects, cleans, and distributes footwear to individuals in need. Rifi went on to represent Staten Island at the YEA! National Competition.

Is there a college payoff?

Yes. Students who complete the Staten Island YEA! program are eligible to receive four college credits through the College of Staten Island in Willowbrook — a tangible academic return stacked on top of the funding and mentorship.

For business-minded teenagers on the island, the calculus is simple: a free maker space, 75 executive contacts, a shot at real investor dollars, and four college credits, all before the Nov. 27 application deadline.