Over the last three years, Brown University undergrads like Galit Ringach have mentored more than 150 local high school students trying to build a business from the ground up as part of the Young Entrepreneurs of Providence or YEP.
This year, Ringach said she's excited for this year’s fall cohort, which includes 25 Rhode Island high schoolers spread across 12 different Providence public schools.
That includes Woonsocket teen and Met School junior Zainabou Thiam, who hopes YEP will help her grow her e-commerce business, Sunu Body. In addition to students, mentors also include industry experts on the entrepreneurial process to help students navigate design thinking, research methods, business models, fundraising, branding, and pitching. At the end of the course, (Nov. 16) they'll form and pitch their own business venture focused on solving a critical community issue.
"There's no experience required on the students' part and we try to make it so anyone can apply," Ringach said. "I was drawn to YEP because I see it as making the biggest impact for change within the local community. We're helping local students as they try to create solutions for critical issues."
The fall cohort of YEP marks Ringach’s second semester with the program. She said she's found a passion for giving back through her parents, who are both involved in teaching underserved youth.
For Zainabou Thiam, YEP represents a chance to take her already existing business, Sunu Body, to the next level. Rooted in Thiam's Senegalese culture and family business, Sunu (meaning "our '' in Wolof) Body stocks West African body adornment & body care, including waist beads, jewelry, and traditional body products.
Thiam started Sunu Body at the age of 15 with the idea she would create lash and lip tutorials on TikTok, but she wasn't passionate enough about it, she said, and gave up. That summer, after her mother returned from a trip to Senegal, inspiration struck.
"I make sure inclusivity and diversity is represented in our business because it is important to me people of all shapes, sizes, and shades feel they have representation in stores and online," she said. "I started my business because I love and am passionate about my culture. My dream is to be able to have factories in my home country of Senegal where I can employ the hard working women there. In many low developed countries in the countryside, many women don’t work. I believe that women should be given the opportunity to make a livable income on their own in a safe and enjoyable working environment. I want to be able to provide foreign benefits like hourly wage, health care, and possibly even childcare."
Thiam said she learned about the Brown program through her entrepreneur teacher Jodie Woodruff, who also serves as Director The Met's Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship in Providence. She said she hopes to learn as much as possible about business and entrepreneurship during the YEP program.
"I’m always told 'entrepreneurs are lifelong learners', from my entrepreneur teachers so I’m always trying to learn from different people and programs," she said.
