Inspiring Minds Market Teaches Business Skills
WARREN — Inspiring Minds had its second annual market event Thursday, as a part of the foundation’s six-week summer enrichment program for students in grades three to 12 in Warren and Youngstown City Schools.
Students showed their ability to make sales, market to consumers and strategize for profitable business plans. The event at Warren G. Harding’s Mollenkopf Stadium also gave guests a chance to support the students by donating to Inspiring Minds and buying products from each of the tables.
Da’Najah Stella, a soon-to-be sophomore at Harding, said she has been with IM since fourth grade. This was her second time participating in the market event as a seller.
While she didn’t make much money last year, “I switched businesses this year, and this one should make a lot more money,” she said. “I learned that people will try something new and gravitate to you, if you have a good vibe and great energy.”
She made her own crackling roll treats — a fried dough with cream cheese in the middle, dipped in butter, cinnamon and sugar. But she said her proudest creations are the blueberry, strawberry and caramel dipping sauces that she made on her own.
Alfie Burch, security liaison and sports coach at Harding, said entrepreneurship is not something people are born with, but something that is developed.
“You develop how to present, keep inventory and make your product,” Burch said. “All of those skills play into developing entrepreneurs, managers, marketers and more for the next generation. As a city school, public or private, that skill set should be taught early because they are teaching it at a university level.”
IM founder and CEO Deryck Toles began helping kids through his program 17 years ago. Toles graduated from Warren G. Harding in 1999 and played football at Penn State University, before signing with the Indianapolis Colts, and eventually the Cleveland Browns. Toles mentioned that he overcame a rough upbringing because of football but he always questioned the path of the other 99 percent of athletes who don’t make it.
“Football allowed me the opportunity to go to college,” Toles said. “And I had a chance to see so many different things, meet so many different people from different backgrounds and realize how big of a world there was out there. But I also understood that the reason that I got that opportunity was because of sports.”
Toles explained that he wants to use the network he was able to build, as well as resources that he has gained, to stand up for young people.
“This event was birthed from not seeing a lot of black and minority businesses in our communities,” Toles said. “So, what we wanted to do was allow folks from our community a chance to be an entrepreneur early. To see what it feels like to sell. And to see what it feels like to make a mistake and have to fix it.”
Community representatives from Chase Bank, 717 Credit Union, Kent State University at Trumbull and Shepherd of the Valley visited each of IM’s sites to coach students in making business decisions.