2012 Issue 4

FUTURE CEO STARS

2012 Issue 4
4 Soap-A-licious TREP$ Standing Out Lyles Center Driven Do Something That Matters NFIB/yef NFIB/yef Young Entrepreneur of the Year

8 11

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Where is Rick going? Find out on page 8

15 Technically Speaking.. Chip Lowe 20 Planning Exquisite Events Ignite

Published by The Consortium for Entrepreneurship Education 1601 W Fifth Ave. #199 Columbus, OH 43212 www.entre-ed.org mashmore@entre-ed.org Publisher: Dr. Cathy Ashmore Editor: Mike Ashmore Graphic Design: SPLASH Designs Web Page Design and Management CWD

21 Hot Shot Entrepreneurs Video Contest 23 Custard & Jelly 25 Philanthropy 28 Entrepreneurs Illustrated The National Museum of Education

30 Our Sponsors

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Soap -aLicious
By Cassie Zoetjes

i. My name is Cassie Zoetjes and I am a thirteen year old who goes to Reverend Brown School. I recently was a part of the Trep$ Marketplace and it was a great success for me. At first, I really wanted to do Bottle Grippers. But after much consideration, I thought I could come up with something better. This is when I needed to change my whole business plan. So I decided that I wanted to make soaps, but I wanted them to appeal to kids and teens. I wanted to come up with a way to make a lot of money by encouraging kids and teens to practice better hygiene. This is when I automatically started to think of ways to draw in different age groups. I thought cute soaps with great scents and designs would be a great idea. This was the start to one of my biggest successes; Soap-a-Licious by Cassie.

I knew that this business would take a lot of time and effort to turn out right. Up until the Marketplace, I was researching the ingredients in the soap; making a quality product was very important to me. Figuring out the different ways to display my product, different scents to use, different colors, and different shapes to make the soap was lots of fun. The biggest challenge I faced was trying to figure out amounts of supplies to order, because I didnt know how the turn out of the Marketplace would be. I estimated how many people I thought would come and ordered my supplies based on that. Once I got all of my supplies in, my business officially started.
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I decided to make cupcakes, crayons, hearts, soapsicles, and mini wrapped candy soaps. I made them all in an array of different colors and scents. Some of the scents included Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Orange Creamsicle, Cotton Candy, Bubble Gum, and Watermelon. I made 36 cupcakes, 41 soapsicles, 24 hearts, 45 mini candies, and 17 crayons. I thought I was definitely going to sell out of the soapsicles and cupcakes. I was wrong! I did sell out of my cupcakes, but I also sold out of my crayons; exactly what I thought I wouldnt sell out of. I was left with 12 soapsicles, 4 hearts, and 15 mini candies. I made $593.00 which meant I made a $236.00 profit. I was so happy to hear I made almost $600.00, but was disappointed when I had to pay about half of it back for my supplies and advertising. While at the Marketplace, I got many comments about my table display and products. Some of these remarks included, Wow, you did an excellent job, or, I will definitely keep you in mind for my next events! My favorite comment was, I would give your table and products an A+ if this was graded. These comments gave me more confidence, and a more positive outlook on my business. Since my business was a great success, appealing to many people, I plan to continue. Right now I am working at home and I am taking many orders. I have also included many different soap designs to improve my product line. If I keep doing well, I hope to open my own store in the near future. Trep$ has taught me many things about owning a business, and I will keep that in mind when I become a millionaire! By the way, can I interest you in buying any soaps?!

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Standing Out
By Laura Facciani

ow are you going to make yourself stand out? That was the question that I struggled with when I decided to open my portrait photography business. Today I can answer that question: Im a high-energy photographer that has mastered a style of making my clients act natural in front of the camera by playing music and being a specialist with children. My name is Laura Facciani, Im twenty years old and Im the owner and lead photographer for Facciani Photography; a portrait photography business in Fresno, California that blends classic art elements and contemporary artistic style.

I grew up in a pretty average neighborhood, with good parents, and I attended a normal high school, but there is nothing typical about my passion. Even as a young child, I was always the leader of the group and the lemonade stand type kid. I strove to stand out and do things my way and my way was always the road of dedication and hard work. When I enrolled in my first photography class freshman year of high school, I met a teacher who taught me that greatness is not attained by receiving high fives and a hand shake, but with constant striving to reach higher and shine brighter every day. This work ethic is still what guides my business today and I know I can never let complacency become a part of my vocabulary. After my first year of only booking 17 clients, I decided I needed to take my business more seriously, but I struggled with how to be original. Being an art major, one thing you learn is that creativity is not usually something that hits you over the head, but rather its something that starts as a tiny spark and, if given deep thought, develops into a huge idea. Midway through my second year I put into place my one hour a day rule; I spend one hour every single day thinking about my business. The first couple of days, things were pretty

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mediocrethinking about a checklist of things to do, but eventually I got tired of thinking of the same things and thats when I naturally started thinking innovatively! In my second year of business I booked over 60 clients and I know its because I took time to dedicate myself to my business. Now thinking about my business is such a huge part of my life that Ill be walking down the street and see a heads up penny on the sidewalk and instantly think of how I can convert the idea of people bending over to pick up a lucky penny into my marketing strategy. Many people believe that a great idea will make you successful, but thats not true; hard work, creativity, and passion make even average ideas into incredibly successful endeavors.

Located at California State University, Fresno, the Lyles Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship is one of the leading entrepreneurial centers in California. The Lyles Center offers assistance to students, entrepreneurs and innovators of all ages. A recognized leader in entrepreneurship and innovation education, the Lyles Center employs its strategic position to leverage resources from the entire University to assist innovators and entrepreneurs in the development of their business. The Lyles Center is not only a stepping stone for young professionals, but a bridge as well for the campus and the community, linking resources of both to achieve success in the marketplace.

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DRIVEN
By Rick McKinney

grew up in Eaton, Ohio where the population is just under 8,000 individuals and I realized very quickly I needed a larger market if I would be successful. At the age of 15 I began exploring what I would do on the internet with Ebay and Amazon. My father had always shared sports with me and I knew a fair amount about sports memorabilia, so I was able to start a business of reselling sports memorabilia, things like shirts, trading cards and autographed items to the world. I saved all my money from birthdays, holidays and my on-line business and by the time I entered college I had $14,000 collected. Real estate fascinated me, so I wanted to buy a house in need of repair, fix it up and resell it. In September of 2010, I purchased a house for $12,000 and poured into it additional dollars and lots of hard work before I sold it for a profit. In the past twenty months, I have purchased and sold four houses and have two additional ones I currently own that are for sale. I thought, If Im going to sell houses why should I pay a realtor? I went to special real estate classes and obtained my Real estate license in Indiana and Ohio. Now I sell real estate and own property. They say time is money, well, its true. So I dont waste my time or my money. I have taken additional courses my entire college career in order to complete the four year degree in just three years. It is extra work to accellerate my class load yet I am achieveing many great things while I obtain my degree from Indiana University East in Richmond, Indiana. I have served as the Vice President of SIFE (Students In Free Enterprise), received the Jules and Gwen Knapp Award and scholarship, and spoken at multiple economic and business conferences. I have served as a motivational speaker at at the University of North Carolina and at the University of Kentucky as well as the Milton Hershey School in Hershey, PA. In June of 2012 I was presented the top Presidential Award from The White House and President Barack Obama for my Volunteer Service of over 1,000 hours. (continued on next page)

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In October of 2011 I started a new business The Money Candle. I work with Warm Glow Candles out of Centerville, Indiana to make wonderful scented candles which burn over 100 hours before the consumer finds a prize inside the candle. Each of my candles includes a prize of a one, a five, a ten, a twenty or even a fifty dollar bill. Its a fun business, I meet a lot of interesting people and its a great way to practice business. I have been driven by success and the biggest influence for my success has been those individuals who say things cant be done. I like to show people I can be successful and I can make things happen. I have completed a four year degree in three years, I have purchased and sold several houses in what people claim is a bad economy and I hold a strong GPA, therefore allowing me to be an ambassidor to other students. As a child I knew a lot about sports and Commissioner David Stern was an individual I admired and always respected from the media. In February of 2012 I was invited to meet with Commissioner Stern in his office in New York City. Wow! What an evening I experienced! From Eaton, Ohio to New York and from a small start-up business to speaking with one of the most successful individuals in the world - it was a once in a lifetime experience. My professor and mentor, Tim Scales, has helped me tremendously throughout my college experience and has taught me a ton about business. He has also provided me with opportunities that I never thought were possible at such a young age. My experiences have been fantastic and I am very optimistic about my future. I believe in entrepreneurship and having the courage to create my own destiny.

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Our Mission...
The National Museum of Education seeks to celebrate the learning, insight, creativity, and workmanship of America's students, teachers, administrators, and all those who have made a positive contribution to the educational process by recognizing and preserving their accomplishments for the inspiration of future generations.

Visit us on the Web at: www.nmoe.org

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Do Something That Matters

By Catherine Mitchell
uring a trip to Uganda in the summer of 2009, I helped out at an orphanage where I met Jackie. Jackie is a five-year-old former street child who has a beautiful smile and a bubbly personality. But behind that sunny smile, Jackie knows that she will soon be orphaned as her mother is dying of AIDS. Touched by her story, I gave her my teddy bear and she gave me a delicate bracelet crafted from scrap paper and scavenged beads. On the 22-hour flight home, I made a plan to turn my vacation into a vocation: empowering women and providing education to children. I landed in Los Angeles with a plan: to create a business to sell the unique handmade jewelry. At 13 years old, I started Beauty 4 Life, a sociallyminded business that sells handcrafted, Ugandan jewelry, so that Jackie wont have to be an orphan living on the streets. Instead, Jackie can snuggle up with my teddy bear in a warm bed without worrying where her next meal will come from. Jackies mother was one of the first women to make the paper bead jewelry sold by Beauty 4 Life. Jackie has started her first year of school and she is living in a house with her mother, paid for with the income Jackies mother received from Beauty 4 Life. My business, Beauty 4 Life, has a two-fold purpose. First, to empower women so they can educate their children, provide for their families, and keep their children out of wars. Secondly, to develop the Africans caring for Africans organizational model, which creates dignity by allowing the women to improve their lives, their families, and their communities. I have built womens centers, schools, and childcare centers in Uganda. Additionally, I am helping the women to develop business and practical skills to create a sustainable income for themselves and their children. Beauty 4 Life is committed to working with each woman until she has graduated from the program and attained a sustainable means of income within her own community. I have set up a work-study program for the women who make the jewelry. Through the work-study program, they can take health classes, English lessons, and business and finance classes. The program helps the women to start their own micro-businesses and have long-term financial independence. The women graduate from the program after four years with the skills, resources, and money they

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need to start their own micro-businesses and support their family. All of the proceeds from the sales of the jewelry go back to the women in Uganda to provide them with a sustainable income so they can educate their children, provide for their families, and keep their children off of the streets and out of wars. Even though running a global, socially-minded business has been meaningful, it has come with its challenges. Communication between the African portion of Beauty 4 Life and the American side of Beauty 4 Life has been a difficulty. By overcoming these challenges, I have learned important skills that will help me in my future business endeavors. When I go to Stanford in the fall, I will extend my work by starting a consulting firm to help socially-minded businesses and non-profits. In the future, I will create an internet incubator for other young entrepreneurs who are trying to start socially-minded businesses. To create a meaningful socially-minded business, follow these steps: take an inventory of interests, connect interests with needs of others, partner with professionals, and start an organization. Using the resources of the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) and the Young Entrepreneur Foundation (YEF), community mentors, and other entrepreneurs, an aspiring, young entrepreneur can learn a lot about starting a business. As the NFIB Young Entrepreneur of the Year, I have received a lot of support and opportunities from NFIB and have been inspired to take my work to a higher level and to share my business knowledge with others. When my friends discuss the lack of job opportunities, I encourage them to create their own jobs and change the world by becoming a social entrepreneur. Being a social entrepreneur has allowed me to be the change I want to see in the world. It has given me the vision for the work that I want to do in the future. As a social entrepreneur, I have gained many skills that will help me in college and in the future, and will help me start my next business. By starting a socially-minded business, I have been able to empower women in Uganda, make a difference in the world, and do something that matters.

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Catherine Mitchell

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Technically Speaking ...

with

Chip Lowe

Pay the 21st Century Way

hecking out has never been so easy and efficient as it now has the ability to be! Though some business owners fret the cost of accepting credit card payments, or the added hassle of a computer-based checkout system, when used properly, these tools help to make the business and customer experience the best it can be. Technology is meant to make our lives easier, not more difficult, and that is what one must keep in mind when engineering a client management system. Electronic payments enable quick transactions between the business and the client, which reduces lines in brick-and-mortar stores, and increases security and the accessibility of pay-by-phone or online circumstances. While it is easy to highlight the benefits of a solution, there will always be those that negate those positives. Many small business owners fret over the cost of accepting credit and debit cards in their business. But, since the widespread use of credit cards for micro-transactions, which are transactions less than $10 USD usually, and the growing business community that accepts credit cards for all payments, the cost of accepting cards has dropped. Now, most businesses can easily accept cards for about a 2.5% transaction fee. When you complain about this fee, remember the peace of mind and security that comes with it: There is no possibility for employee theft because there is no cash accessible. There
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is no possibility for customer hold-ups in a brick-and-mortar store because, again, there is no physical cash. Another advantage is that you are paying your employee less per customer because the handling time for card transactions is dramatically less than that of cash or check transactions. And your accounting instantly becomes ten times easier since your payment provider will automatically store all of the data for the transaction and allow you to access and sort it by whatever means you need. While many of you are probably familiar with the process and methods of accepting credit card sales, there is still a staggering number of student ventures and school-based stores that do not accept card payments. I would encourage you to strongly pursue such a payment acceptance method for the security, accessibility, and ease of use it provides. The cost of accepting these payments is well worth the benefits.

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THOUGHT YOU COULDN'T AFFORD A WEBSITE? DIDNT THINK VIDEO PRODUCTION COULD BE AFFORDABLE? never had the time to setup your company to take advantage of social networking?

THINK AGAIN!
find us on facebook
Future CEO Stars 2012 Issue 3

Visit www.cwd.me today! Email us at go@cwd.me call us at (352) 575-0055 17

Bring Lemonade Day to your city!

Build a Stand...

SPARK A DREAM!

Free, Fun, Experiential Learning

This year 100,000 kids across the nation will start their own lemonade stand business on May 2. By 2013, Lemonade Day will reach 1 million young entrepreneurs in 100 cities. We want to bring this community-wide event for kids to YOUR city!

or Great project for business schools, foundations, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, youth sports ol and after-school programs!

Lets talk!
Contact Executive Director Julie Eberly at 713.626.KIDS or jeberly@prepared4life.org.

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Lemonade Day FAQ

What is Lemonade Day?
Lemonade Day is a FREE, community-wide, educational initiative designed to teach children how to start, own and operate their own business a lemonade stand.

How does a child register?

Beginning in the spring, a child can register by completing a printed application available through participating partners, such as schools or youth organizations. Youth can register online at www.LemonadeDay.org. They can also sign up and receive a backpack at numerous events in the spring in each city.

How did Lemonade Day get started?

Michael Holthouse, a Houston entrepreneur and philanthropist, co-founded Prepared 4 Life (P4L), a nonprot that provides fun, proactive programs infused with life skills, character education and entrepreneurship. Inspired by the lessons he was able to teach his young daughter and her friend when they set up a lemonade stand, Holthouse launched Lemonade Day in Houston, Texas in 2007. It has now become P4Ls number one outreach and educational priority.

What do children learn?

The objective of Lemonade Day is to teach youth how to start and run their own lemonade business. Children learn the entrepreneurial skills necessary to be successful in the future and become contributing members of their communities. The best part of the program for kids is that after covering their expenses and paying back their investors, they can keep what they earn. With this in mind, children are encouraged to open a youth savings account so their prots can continue to grow as well as give a portion of their earnings to charity.

When is Lemonade Day?

Lemonade Day takes place the rst Sunday in May. It will be on May 2 in 2010.

Who can participate?

Youth of all ages, from pre-K through high school, can register for an ofcial Lemonade Day stand. Adults are needed to participate as mentors and volunteers. In addition, community support from schools, churches, businesses, and youth organizations is essential to the success of Lemonade Day.

Who can get involved and how?

Anyone and everyone can be involved in Lemonade Day. Young entrepreneurs with lemonade stands need mentors, investors, employees and customers! Sponsors and volunteers are also needed to make Lemonade Day a success. All money raised through local donations and sponsorships is used directly to support Lemonade Day in your city. To get involved, please visit your local Lemonade Day website at www.LemonadeDay.org.

How does it work?

Each child that registers for Lemonade Day receives a bright, yellow backpack with an informational workbook for the child and another for a responsible adult. The workbooks outline the steps needed to start a business, from setting a goal, creating a business plan, forming a budget and nding an investor to saving money and donating a portion back to their community. (Materials are available in Spanish.)

How can I bring Lemonade Day to my community?

To learn how to bring Lemonade Day to your community, call 713.626.KIDS (5437).

www.LemonadeDay.org

Lemonade Day is the perfect opportunity for the entire community

to come together and train the next generation of entrepreneurs.
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Planning Exquisite Events

egan Verchereau is a recent DeWitt High School graduate with plans to attend Grand Valley State University in the fall. Summers for recent high school graduates are typically spent finalizing college plans, scraping together financial aid, thinking about majors, and spending time with friends. In Megans case, add starting a business, to that list. As part of a high school project, Megan was asked to write a business plan for a small company. Although many students chose to create fictitious companies, Megan developed the concept for a meeting and event planning company she long dreamed of starting. With her concept and business plan drafted, Megans business, Exquisite Events, took shape. Earlier this year, Megan decided to submit her business plan to a local Clinton County Youth Ventures Business Plan Competition and IGNITEs Second Annual Young Entrepreneur competition. Both competitions offered pre-seed development stipends as prizes. Megan won second and first places in the Service divisions at the competitions. After winning recognition and seed money for her project, Megan became energized to further develop Exquisite Events. When asked about the competitions, she noted, It is such a good feeling to know that something you dream about can take shape and become real through planning and hard work. Since winning the competition, Megan has planned several events through her company and has also served as a guest panelist at events encouraging other youth to think entrepreneurially. Megan has been active in dance, marching band and swim team. She was recently elected to the State Officer Team of the Michigan Chapter of the Business Professionals of America (BPA). Her official title is State Secretary and Treasurer. Already her new BPA role has taken her to California to the National convention and to other leadership development events. With college in her future, her year-long obligation as a BPA state officer and the prospect of creating a company to run, she is both excited and very busy.

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Interview a Successful Entrepreneur and gain million dollar advice!

for more details go to ...

www.entre-week.org
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Custard N Jelly
By Ally Mollo

i, my name is Ally Mollo. I would like to tell you a little bit about my company, Custard N Jellyhow I started it and all about the charitable contributions we have been involved with. After my grandfather passed away, my mom always told me that he was my guardian angel. I really liked the thought of that, so one day I started drawing guardian angels. My mom saw the drawings and said, These are so amazing! We have to do something with these. And from that, Custard N Jelly was born. I have always loved the idea that my grandpa is always watching over me, protecting me, and has my back. I wanted everyone to have their own guardian angel that would watch over them at all times. My mom and I thought it would be a great idea if we turned my guardian angel drawings into a lifestyle brand for girlsbed sheets, backpacks, note pads, clothing, etc. We knew that we needed to have a starting point, so we decided that guardian angel dolls would be perfect for girls to take everywhere. They could put the dolls on backpacks, put them on a belt loop, or simply hold the angels close to them when they needed comfort. It took a long time to get the dolls to look like my drawings, but after some time, they came out perfect. I wanted to create something really cool with the angels so that the dolls would be more than just something that you could carry around. I wanted the dolls to have their own special world. My mom, dad, and I created a special task force for the guardian angels called the Guardian Angel Rainbow Division. The G.A.R.D is made up of seven different guardian angels, each with their own special skills and training. We wanted to figure out a way that the angels could really help kids. I knew that I wanted to make a difference in kids lives, and then it struck mework with childrens charities. By partnering with childrens charities, we could bring a little bit of hope and comfort to those who needed

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it! We were very lucky to find three charities that wanted to partner with us. The three charities we have partnered with are Child Find of America, which helps to reunite missing and abducted kids with their families; The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation, which helps to curb the spread of AIDS among children; and Children Incorporated, an organization devoted to helping feed and educate less fortunate children. I have learned so many cool lessons since I created Custard N Jelly. Custard N Jelly has helped me accomplish so many great things in my life that I never thought I would have the chance to do. Ill admit, I had never thought about becoming an entrepreneur or a businesswoman, but now I cant imagine doing anything else. Knowing that people really love Custard N Jelly and that it has helped so many kids really makes me want to do so much more. I have loved seeing my drawings become an actual product and knowing that we are sold in new stores and online! One of the biggest things I learned after creating Custard N Jelly is that you have to be patient. I never realized how long it can take to turn something you have dreamed about into a reality. But seeing all the pieces of the puzzle come together is definitely something worth waiting for. My advice to other children who plan to start their own business one day is to never give up. Sometimes people might say that youre too young to do something, but that is not true. You are never too young. I started Custard N Jelly when I was only 8 years old! I also want to tell kids that no matter how hard or difficult something may appear, you have to keep trying. If you set a goal for yourself, try to do everything possible to make that goal happen. My goal is to have children of all different backgrounds want to make a difference in the world. I would like Custard N Jelly to grow from guardian angel dolls into a lifestyle brand for girls. And of course, I would like to help kids as much as possible. We donate a portion of each purchase to a childrens charity so we are already helping make the world a better place!

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P
P

hilanthropy
By Issac J Kassin

hilanthropy, both in my mind and in my heart, resides as more than just an avocation. It is my passion and also, I see it as a work of art that is unique in that it influences the lives of both the artist and the work of art. In this case, I am referring to the philanthropist and the beneficiary. I was first introduced to the world of charitable giving as a child by my grandfather, Saul Ashkenazi, a wise and generous man. Also my mother and father have set an example by giving to others and by setting a strong moral compass for me. My mother created a multicultural childrens series called The Alphabet Kids. For each book they sell, one book is given to a child in need, plus, they do many charitable activities with community groups and schools. I also have been deeply influenced by a comment from Bill Gates, If you show people the problems and you show them the solutions, they will be moved to act. He is one of my heroes! So at the age of fourteen, I hosted a non-profit community talent show for the residents of Deal, New Jersey. My friends and I arduously organized and executed the logistics, including building a stage, auditioning performers, creating promotional flyers and posters. Along with soliciting event sponsors and donors, we then had to find an audience. The result of our joint efforts raised $11,500, which was donated to St. Jude Childrens Research Hospital. Despite all of the hard work that the talent show entailed, my friends and I were elated by how much fun we had doing this project. As I entered high school, I realized that many of the students perceived their annual forty-hour community service requirement as a burden. The students were already overwhelmed from their academic requirements and extracurricular activities, and they had no time or desire to add to their
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responsibilities. I figured that if they were to assemble into groups of mutual interests and carry out activities with their peers on a charitable level, then their hobbies would become inherently charitable and vice versa. Over the following three years, I did just that. I united students from all over my neighborhood to perform community service projects and host local charitable fundraising events. Our community service projects ranged from volunteering in thrift stores, soup kitchens and helping with bingo at an old age home to canned food and toy drives and academic review sheet sales - all in an effort to raise money for those less fortunate. Charitable fundraising events were executed on the premise that when youth with similar interests unite they can use their similar interests and skills to help those in need. A shining example of this principle was unifying the basketball team to host a charity basketball tournament to raise funds for the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Eventually, The Charity Crew, as my group was called, was comprised of over forty-five students from three schools ranging in age from 8 to 16 years of age from my community, with the youngest being personally mentored by me. The mutual warmth and contentment my peers and I were feeling as a result of our community work continued to fuel my passionate fire for charity work. My exposure to the substandard living conditions of others not only opened my eyes, but gave me a broader perspective of the improvements that could be made. I developed an innate sensation to emotionally empathize and almost feel the pain of others vicariously. Over time, all my charity work has caused me to develop a soft spot in my heart, a poignant empathetic quality of relating to others and having a personal desire to help. This gift and life-altering development is one example of the hundreds of ways the art of philanthropy benefits me. I consider my friends and myself artists in giving to others. My motivation and zeal drive me, but I had a mentor to keep me on track. As a day-to-day mentor and advisor, Patrice Samara, an entrepreneurial businesswoman and Emmy winning producer, taught me the basic ways to intelligently and strategically execute philanthropic activities and their coordination. Due to Patrices devout dedication to my projects, I had the ability to raise tens of thousands of dollars over the years, significantly impacting beneficiaries around the world. Furthermore, she introduced me to Jim Luce, the founder of The James Jay Dudley Luce Foundation, taking my charity work and its possibilities to an entire new level.
Once I personally developed a relationship with Mr. Luce through our mutual goals of global philanthropic awareness and young global leadership, I was made Fund Director of The Isaac J. Kassin Fund, where I would be able to raise money for a wide array of global (continued on next page)

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charitable organizations in need. Holding this position while maintaining a high academic standard in a new high school was actually much more challenging than I had thought it would be. But with the complete support of my mother and father, and guidance from my two mentors, Ms. Samara and Mr. Luce, I was happily able to do so. Currently, I am President of The Isaac J. Kassin Fund, and donationtions are now being directed toward local community charities. To satisfy the need of global philanthropy, I am also working on a project called The World Youth Initiative (WYI) with some of my friends and classmates I met through the Wharton Business Leadership Summer Program. My achievements in philanthropy taught me many life lessons that I hope to carry on forever and pass on to many others through my example. The world is a big place with a large array of diverse people with diverse needs. Sometimes its expansiveness intimidates and even discourages those much more experienced than I am who are trying to make a difference. However, I am convinced, that if you have a big dream and a heart filled with passion, anyone can make their mark in the world of charitable giving.

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16 years old from Rochester, MN attends Mayo High School

INVENTed Brain Computer Interface

David was born and has lived his entire life in Rochester, MN. He has a life of varied interests which include several sports. As an alpine ski racer, he participated in the Junior Olympics in Winter Park, CO in 2008. He has been a member of the Rochester Water-ski Show Team since 2004 where he does barefoot, slalom, backwards and pyramid skiing. He has recently become interested in unicycling.

David is also skilled in the arts. He plays the piano and the violin since 3rd grade. He is a member of SEMYO (Southeastern Minnesota Youth Orchestra).

Davids inspiration for invention began with programming calculators in Middle School. In 9th grade he created an autonomous robotic Rubiks cube solver along with a friend.

When he saw the game, Mind Flex, he was inspired to start his work on the Brain Computer Interface. He won the International BioGENEius Challenge in June of 2011 and 3rd place in Engineering at ISEF 2011, Los Angeles, CAEngineering: Electrical & Mechanical 2nd Award (also European Organization for Nuclear Research all expense paid trip to tour CERN summer 2011 and International Council on Systems Engineering Certificate of Honorable Mention).

His strong abilities in Math and Science have meant that he studied Calculus I & II, Statistics, and is now in AP Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Next year he will begin post-secondary studies. David has not yet selected a university; however he is certain that he will choose a program of Math or Science.

He has plans to continue his research on the Brain Computer Interface with the intention of helping to generate a signal to restore motor function for those that are paralyzed.

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Future CEO Stars

2012 Issue 3

18 years old from McLean, VA Attended St. Albans School

INVENTed Improved Contrast in Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) for More Accurate Medical Diagnoses

His father introduced him to his favorite hobbies, which include chess, soccer and tennis. His tennis team was second in the Washington, DC area when he was in high school.

Alexander grew up in Chatham, NJ and then moved to McLean, VA in 2000. With Greek heritage on his mothers side of the family, it was important for Alexander to go to Greek School to learn their traditions each Saturday morning until he entered high school. Alex, along with his mother, father, and sister go to Greece each summer to see their extended family. He speaks Greek, so he can communicate with his cousins, grandmother and uncles.

Alex also enjoys music. He has played the euphonium for 8 years, and two years ago he began playing the guitar. He especially likes Classic Hard Rock.

He became interested in research after taking his advanced Math & Science courses during his sophomore year in high school. He worked at NIH (National Institutes of Health), and he spent the following summer working at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Neuroimmunology Branches. There he focused on improving MRI contrast with a computer program and an ex-vivo histochemical stain respectively.

His research project of A Quantitative T2 MRI Mapping at 1.5 Tesla developed a computer algorithm which improves contrast in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). His program has been successfully applied to brain MRIs, enabling more accurate image definition of tissues, in areas of demyelination, or plaques, which are often present in patients with MS. It offers hope for potential better diagnosis of neurological diseases including Alzheimers.

As a result of his interest in Science, in 2011 he was a Davidson Fellow, an ISEF Finalist & an Intel Science Talent Search Semifinalist. He was also the Popular Science Top High School Inventor in 2011. In 2010 he was a Raytheon Math Hero and a Research Science Institute Scholar. Alexander is currently a freshman at MIT and is planning on majoring in Material Science and Engineering with the possibility of continuing on to graduate school.

Future CEO Stars 2012 Issue 3

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Future CEO Stars

2012 Issue 3