Young Entrepreneurs Open for Business at JA Marketplace on July 15

Area youth will be open for business to sell their goods and services at the Junior Achievement Young Entrepreneur Marketplace on Saturday, July 15 from 9:00 am to 1:00 pm as part of the YLNI Farmer’s Market in downtown Fort Wayne.

Junior Achievement of Northern Indiana is again providing this opportunity for school aged
youth through college age to participate in a one-day marketplace which gives young
entrepreneurs an opportunity to promote their existing business or try their hand at business
ownership. Booth spaces for each business will be available for customers to shop the wide
variety of unique, hand crafted goods and services such as baked goods, jewelry, dog treats
and toys, original art, crocheted items, cutting boards, bath bombs, and pottery, just to
name a few. The young entrepreneurs range in age from 5 to 20 and represent Allen and
surrounding counties.

Again this year, Junior Achievement has partnered with the YNLI Farmers Market to provide a
venue with an established customer base that gives these young business owners significant
foot traffic from potential shoppers.

“Providing young entrepreneurs with a thriving marketplace with a large and diverse
customer base allows them an opportunity to receive real-time feedback on their products
and ideas” says Karen Cooper, Vice President of Capstone Experiences at Junior
Achievement. “These young people are the next generation of innovative thinkers and job
creators for our community and giving them a space to build their dreams is an important
opportunity for them to grow as entrepreneurs.”

This year’s marketplace is the 4th year that Junior Achievement has held this event and is
excited to see it expanding. This year there are 62 entrepreneurs representing 50 businesses.
The public can find the Junior Achievement booths in a slightly new location – the Barrett
McNagny parking lot at the corner of S. Barr St. and E. Berry St.

To find out more, go to https://northernindiana.ja.org/events/ja-young-entrepreneur-
marketplace.