LEGISLATIVE RESOLUTION commending The Young Entrepreneurs Academy for
its outstanding work in educating and training the next generation of
business and community leaders

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to recognize and pay
tribute to those educational organizations which greatly benefit our
youth within this great Empire State; and
WHEREAS, Attendant to such concern, and in full accord with its long-
standing traditions, this Legislative Body is justly proud to commend
The Young Entrepreneurs Academy for its outstanding work in educating
and training the next generation of business leaders; and
WHEREAS, The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA!) is a new program being
offered by the School of Business at the University at Albany, SUNY, in
collaboration with private sector partners; the program was founded at
the Simon Graduate School of Business at the University of Rochester
with financial support from the Kauffman Foundation; and
WHEREAS, This year-long initiative, which is taught by William Brig-
ham, director of UAlbany's award-winning Small Business Development
Center, is designed to capture the imagination of students and transform
their ideas into tangible products, while simultaneously building strong
leadership skills, self-reliance, independence and confidence; and
WHEREAS, This exceptional program brings together enthusiastic and
innovative middle school and high school students in a weekly seminar to
teach them to develop a business idea; and
WHEREAS, Through the Albany chapter of YEA!, students work with a
mentor, but are also exposed to guest lecturers, successful entrepre-
neurs and business mentors; they launch and operate legally registered
and fully formed enterprises; and
WHEREAS, The class takes field trips to various local businesses; the
students also participate in three major events throughout the year:
the Investor Panel, the Trade Show, and a formal graduation ceremony;
and
WHEREAS, These young entrepreneurs partake in filing DBA paperwork,
opening bank accounts, and enticing investors; at the conclusion of the
program, the scholars run their own businesses; and
WHEREAS, The students and their ideas for startup companies include:
Cydney De La Rosa, age 11, who attends Doane Stuart, will produce pads
to be used for cushioning backpacks or making crutches more comfortable;
Theodora Beneby, age 11, who attends Eagle Point Elementary School,
plans on starting her own babysitting service, while employing three
additional babysitters who will care for children ages one to four; Maya
Paolasso Martinez, age 12, who attends Bethlehem Middle School would
like to establish an organic candy line; Montana Morrison, age 13, who
attends Bishop Gibbons Middle School, will host a teen cooking show on a
local public broadcasting television station; Andrea Wade, age 15, who
attends Niskayuna High School, would like to launch a not-for-profit
company that produces theme-based wristbands which will include a
personality trait or interest; Ekong Takor, age 16, who attends Shaker
High School, is starting a Youth Employment Directory designed to help
customers find pre-screened teenagers to do odd jobs; Christian Frese,
age 17, who attends Bethlehem High School, has been operating a land-
scaping business for the past six years, in which he has serviced more
than 150 homes; and Trevor Martin and Andrew Loffredo, both 17 years-old
who attend LaSalle Institute, make and sell wristbands in support of the
tsunami relief effort in Japan; and

WHEREAS, Poised eagerly with enthusiasm and determined purpose, these
students all graduated from the Young Entrepreneurs Academy on June 14,
2011; and
WHEREAS, Remarkably, more than 50 percent of the young entrepreneurs
in the YEA! Program continue their businesses after graduation from the
academy; and
WHEREAS, The students were educated under the knowledgeable leadership
of their mentors, the staff of the School of Business, University at
Albany, SUNY; these inspirational tutors include: Dean Donald Siegel;
William Brigham, Director of the Small Business Development Center,
University At Albany; Kate Baker, Faculty; Matt Staccone, Faculty; Sally
Mills, Program Manager; Jason Cotungo, Recruitment Manager; Sean Riley,
Graduate Assistant; John Levato, Program Coordinator; Bill Roller,
Development Officer; and Terri Scalise Roller, Development Officer; and
WHEREAS, The tremendous potential of private and public partnerships
to develop the next generation of business and community leaders is well
represented by the commitment of the YEA! sponsors; these generous
supporters include: Michael Hoffman, Turf Hotels; Brian Straughter, Turf
Hotels; Richard Grant, PricewaterCoopers; Jim Kuba and Stephanie
Berwick, Institute of Management Accountants; Tim Bruculere, Members of
United Corporation Federal Credit Union; Mark Boucher, Price Chopper;
Peter Cosgrove, First Niagara Bank; Robert Lazar; Kevin McCoy, Marvin &
Co.; Debra Perez, Fenimore Asset Management; New York Business Develop-
ment Corporation; and William and Connie Danko; and
WHEREAS, It is the sense of this Legislative Body that when programs,
which benefit our youth, of such noble aims and accomplishments are
brought to our attention, they should be celebrated and recognized by
all the citizens of this great Empire State; now, therefore, be it
RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
commend The Young Entrepreneurs Academy for its outstanding work in
educating and training the next generation of business and community
leaders; and be it further
RESOLVED, That copies of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be tran-
smitted to The Young Entrepreneurs Academy, its mentors, the members of
the 2011 graduating class, and the aforementioned sponsors.