Press

Dallas Business Journal Coverage  – 11/14/2012.

Press Release  – 10/31/2012

_________________________________________________________________________________________

A great initiative to identify, encourage and mentor young entrepreneurs, still in area high schools (9th through 12th grades) was recently launched in Dallas and has attracted significant interest in the community among aspiring young entrepreneurs.

The TiE Young Entrepreneurs (TYE) program is aimed at developing the future generation of entrepreneurs by ‘catching them young’ and teaching them idea generation and business building skills through a structured program of class room lecture sessions, case studies, exercises and a business plan competition. The winning team also gets to participate at an annual Global Competition from different TiE/TYE chapters.

The program is structured as a series of classroom sessions on various topics related to Entrepreneurship, Product Design, Sales & Marketing, Finance, Operations, Admin/Legal. Each classroom session is supplemented by a case-study discussion and a hands-on exercise.  The classroom sessions are followed by workshops designed to help students become aware and knowledgeable of all aspects of operating a business. Students work in teams and brainstorm to generate business ideas and develop an operating plan to implement these ideas. Each team is assigned a mentor who guides them in developing their ideas into a viable business plan. Students finally present their business plan to a panel of judges consisting of established Venture Capitalists and Entrepreneurs. Classes are taught by successful entrepreneurs in the DFW area who have volunteered their time for the initiative. The case studies and exercises are often held by other young entrepreneurs and peers that have gone through their own entrepreneurial journeys recently, so that the students can relate to such peer experiences as well.

The classes started at the end of August coinciding with the beginning of the school year and the Business Plan competition will be held on Nov 4th, 2012. The classes and the workshops are both being held on Sundays at the Alcatel-Lucent Gravity Center in Plano.

“This is a fantastic program that brings out the creative potential of these young minds in a stimulating environment of other like minds and successful entrepreneurs in the DFW area. This is the best form of giving back to society and have fun while doing it. The program is very fulfilling to us who have gone through our own journeys, tasted some success and now want to encourage others, especially youngsters. We also learn much from interacting with these youngsters. The attention and participation that the program has received both from students and volunteer entrepreneurs has been very encouraging”, says Ram Viswanathan, CEO of Nathan Research Inc and Board member of TiE Dallas, who chairs the TYE program.

Jennifer Conley of the Alcatel-Lucent Gravity Center adds “We are excited to be able to host this program at the Gravity Center, in collaboration with TiE. This is the type of program that best illustrates the purpose and value of the Center and we wish the program all the best”,

Additional information can be obtained from  TiE Dallas  or the program page  or by emailing ram@nathanresearch.com