For parents with kids age 10-18...
Enroll Your Family And Prepare Your Kids To Become Secure, Successful & Self-Sufficient Adults
Entrepreneurs change lives.
Entrepreneurs do tremendous good in the world.
And entrepreneurs have unparalleled freedom...
But not enough kids stand up in class and proudly state,
“When I grow up, I want to be an Entrepreneur!”
We aim to fix that.
Traditional schools and even colleges just aren’t equipped to provide the mentorship and education required to properly inspire and train kids to become entrepreneurs.
And that’s nobody’s fault, it’s just a reality.
We believe that kids and teens have the ability to become founders.
Not just in the future… But NOW.
Our mission is to transform education by empowering kids and teens to build successful and profitable businesses before graduating high school.
Idea
Hey, I'm Stephen.
Husband, father, youth pastor, entrepreneur, and founder of Young Founders Academy.
Meet my wife, Miranda, and our adorable baby girl Hallie Lynn.
Baby pic below... I'm a new dad and can't control myself 🤣
On June 19th, 2024, I was on "daddy duty" taking care of that cute looking little girl (who was acting not-so-cute at the time)...
...when a 14 year old kid (we'll call him Jake) knocked on my front door.
I was busy with a crying baby, but when I checked the camera and saw that it was a kid (not a pest control solicitor like usual), I went to the door to see what he was up to.
"Hi, my name's Jake. I was wondering, could I mow your lawn?"
I was impressed with his bravery... "Absolutely! Are you mowing a lot of other lawns?"
He responded, "No, but I'm trying to..."
I asked how I could contact him, and he pulled out a stack of sticky notes from his pocket (with pre-written contact info on then) and handed one to me.
I was even more impressed. He came prepared.
There was only one problem. My lawn was completely dead at the time! It needed fertilized, watered and treated for weeds before it would even be mow-able.
So the next day, I contacted Jake and his parents, and he came over for our first “official consult.”
We planned some work for him to do, and we also spent a few minutes talking business.
I learned that Jake wished he had more lawns to mow, and that he loves helping people (and also likes earning his own money).
He's not quite sure what he wants to do with his life yet, but he knows for sure that he wants to do something he enjoys that will help people and also make a good living for his future family.
What an awesome kid!
So I spent the summer mentoring Jake, giving him business advice, encouraging him…
And by the end of the summer, he had 7 lawns he was mowing!
I know it wasn’t an accident that Jake knocked on my door that day and asked to mow my lawn.
Because this has ignited a spark in me that’s going to change the trajectory of my life…
And I believe it has the potential to TRANSFORM the education system, re-shape the future of youth entrepreneurship, and help create a better future for my own kids
This is where the idea for Young Founders Academy came from…
Jake sparked a movement that is going to change the world.
Story
During college, I spent 5 years working in an after-school program in Northern Kentucky.
I worked with a bunch of smart, capable, awesome kids who felt powerless to change their circumstances. I saw a lot of pain, poverty and brokenness in the kids & families I worked with, and if there is one word I could use to describe how most kids felt, it was "powerless."
During this time, I developed a passion for empowering kids and families to make positive changes in their life.
After that, I spent 5 years as a youth pastor working with middle school & high school aged teens and their families.
I found myself spending about 1/3 of my time working directly with teens, with the majority of my efforts focused on equipping parents (and caring non-parent adults) to create personal, meaningful transformation in the lives of teens.
The most important adults in any kid's life are their parents, and in my experience, the most effective way to create lasting, positive change in a kid's life is to create lasting, positive change in their home life (i.e., the parent/child relationship).
By the end of my time as a youth pastor, I had built and trained a team of 50+ parent/adult volunteer leaders.
This is where entrepreneurship kicks in...
Without even realizing it, during my youth pastor years, I had built a mini-business with a mini-team and a mini-budget.
I had created a ministry that could operate without me being there (which made vacations a lot easier), and most importantly, I was empowering the adults that mattered most in kids lives to be the true agents of transformation.
During that time, I developed a very strong entrepreneurial drive, and about 5 years into my career as a youth pastor, I realized that working at a non-profit for $36k/year wasn't going to cut it for me anymore.
I wanted to make an impact and money, and there's no better way to do that than entrepreneurship!
That's when I connected with a company called Modern Musician, where I have spent the last 5 years building a multiple 7-figure business.
I have played just about every role that exists in the company (not always with the actual "title")...
Sales rap, customer support rep, automation specialist, sales director, copywriter, funnel builder, head of customer support, coaching team leader, client success director, COO, and shareholder.
Growing this business has been a lot of fun, and I look forward to watching it continue to grow!
But the last few months, I've been feeling the "entrepreneurial itch" again... You know what I mean. Like there's something new I'm being called toward.
But I wasn't quite sure what it was yet...
Then, 14-year-old Jake knocked on my front door and asked to mow my lawn.
That changed everything.
Roadmap
Vision
We envision a future where young people from all backgrounds are empowered to learn entrepreneurial values, run successful businesses, master finance and investment, and passionately pursue their goals before reaching adulthood. Our vision is to cultivate a generation of innovative, self-sufficient, and passionate leaders who drive positive change in their lives, their communities, and the world.
Mission
Our mission is to transform education by empowering kids and teens to become founders, develop financial literacy, and build profitable businesses before graduating from high school, effectively replacing the need for traditional college education.
Product
Our program offers a comprehensive entrepreneurship education and membership community designed for kids, teens, and parents, with a unique emphasis on strong parent-child collaboration.
The program includes a robust curriculum, live coaching, personal mentorship, and supportive communities that empower young people to become founders, learn entrepreneurial values, develop financial literacy, and build profitable businesses before graduating high school.
What sets us apart is our dedicated focus on equipping parents with the knowledge, resources, guidance, and community to effectively support their children's entrepreneurial journeys. This approach strengthens family bonds and creates an environment for collaborative growth.
Parents (especially ones who fit our avatar) are busy people, which is why parent training must be incredibly simple and time-efficient. With just 5 minutes or less per day, parents will be able to access practical, action-focused training that not only saves them time but also enhances their ability to guide and support their children.
Everything is action-focused, ensuring parents and children can quickly and easily integrate entrepreneurial learning into their daily routines.
Avatars
So far, I have identified 5 primary avatars. These will be marketed to in phases, starting with the lowest-hanging-fruit:
Avatar #1 - Entrepreneurial Parents aged 30-55. Typically entrepreneurs, business owners, or professionals in managerial roles. They value education, financial independence, and personal growth, with strong interests in business development, personal finance, technology, and innovation. These parents are motivated to provide their children with entrepreneurial opportunities, so they actively seek educational programs and extracurricular activities like this one. They engage with content related to entrepreneurship, business growth, and financial literacy.
Avatar #2 - Alternative Education & Homeschooling Parents aged 30-55. They come from diverse occupations, including professionals, educators, and stay-at-home parents. These parents prioritize education, innovation, and self-sufficiency for their children, with strong interests in alternative education methods, homeschooling, and extracurricular activities. They are open to non-traditional education paths and entrepreneurial opportunities for their children. They actively engage with content and communities focused on alternative education, participating in online forums, social media groups, and events related to homeschooling and educational innovation.
Avatar #3 - Engaged, Forward-Thinking Parents aged 30-55. These parents come from a variety of professional backgrounds, including business, education, healthcare, and more. They prioritize their children's education and future success, valuing innovation, personal development, and self-sufficiency. They are interested in extracurricular activities, future-oriented educational programs, and opportunities that prepare their children for the real world. These parents are proactive in seeking out new and effective learning experiences for their children and often engage with content related to personal growth, education, and future career opportunities. They participate in online communities, attend educational events, and consume media that offers insights and advice on preparing their children for a successful future.
Avatar #4 - Young Adults and Recent High School Graduates aged 18-24, who are exploring pathways beyond traditional education. These individuals are typically at a crossroads, seeking opportunities to gain practical skills and real-world experience. They value independence, innovation, and the potential for financial success through entrepreneurship. Their interests include technology, social media, startups, and innovative business ideas. They are highly engaged with digital content, frequently participating in online courses, workshops, and entrepreneurial communities. These young adults are eager to take risks, learn new skills, and embark on entrepreneurial ventures that can set the foundation for their future careers.
Avatar #5 - Teachers and Educational Institutions that are committed to preparing their students for real-world success by integrating entrepreneurship into their curriculum. These schools and colleges recognize the importance of equipping students with practical skills that extend beyond traditional academic knowledge. They are forward-thinking and eager to adopt innovative educational programs that foster entrepreneurial values, financial literacy, and business acumen among their students. These institutions aim to provide a holistic education that prepares students for future challenges and opportunities, ensuring they are well-equipped to succeed in a rapidly changing world.
Traffic
- Personal Connections
- JV Partnerships
- Paid Media (Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube/Google)
- LinkedIn Outreach
- Referral/Affiliate Program for Clients
Super-Founder Seed Launch 🌱
Purpose:
Seed the community with awesome parents and students
Gather valuable feedback to create and fine-tune the program
Generate our first success stories
Enhance business positioning with reputable advisors
Avatars:
Avatar #1: Entrepreneurial Parents
Avatar #2: Alternative Education & Homeschooling Parents
Offer:
3 month super-founder cohort
Includes 3 months of weekly live trainings, separate parent & kid Q&A's, separate parent & kid communities, and unlimited 1:1 sessions with Stephen for parents and kids.
Parent training is kept very concise (less than 5 minutes per day, focused on helping parents know what their kids are working on).
Traffic Strategy:
Personal network & connections
Referrals from parents & partners
Cold outreach
Sales Strategy:
Seed Launch
Webinars & VSLs with the CTA leading directly a checkout page
1:1 sales calls if necessary
Product Delivery:
Three-month cohort beginning in September
Curriculum, Community, Calendar & Live Trainings hosted in Circle
Weekly live training + weekly live Q&A for kids (recordings edited & added to training portal)
Weekly live Q&A for parents (recordings edited & added to parent portal)
Unlimited 1:1 sessions for kids & parents (only 1 scheduled at a time)
Founding Member Launch 🚀
Purpose:
Bring next round of awesome families into the community
Launch pre-recorded version of the program (not live with Stephen)
Roll out "Buddy System" with cohort graduates mentoring new members
Establish early success stories in the community
Avatar:
Avatar #1: Entrepreneurial Parents
Avatar #2: Alternative Education & Homeschooling Parents
Offer:
3 month founding member live cohort (dripped recorded trainings + homework for kids), including live trainings
9 months "Elite Accelerator" program designed for those who graduated the 3-month program
12 months of weekly live trainings + separate parent & kid Q&A's (first 3 months are the live cohort)
12 months of membership to the parent & kid communities, which also includes all trainings & resources
3 months of unlimited 1:1 sessions for kids & parents (only 1 scheduled at a time). Anticipating that the ability to schedule calls will be a selling point, but that these calls won't be scheduled too often. This may need to be adjusted depending on how much it's utilized in the seed launch.
Will also have an "Educators Membership" available (detailed in Phase 3 below), which will likely appeal to homeschool teachers. Will not market it heavily on the front-end during this launch, but will set up an intentional referral system and will probably get a lot of referrals on the backend.
Traffic Strategy:
Joint Venture Partnerships
Referrals Seed Launch Buyers
Organic Facebook & LinkedIn (DM & Communities)
ConvertKit Creator Network
Sales Strategy:
PLF Style Launch
Webinars & VSLs with the CTA leading directly a checkout page
Product Delivery:
Pre-recorded videos created and fine-tuned during Seed Launch
Live component will likely be very similar to Seed Launch, with adjustments based on feedback from participants
Renewal Strategy:
Get results and assign projects for kids to complete every 3 months + presentation to let parents see the awesomeness
Include a down-sell for lower ticket community membership (detailed below) for anyone who doesn't take us up on the full year
Evergreen Launch Funnel 🌲
Purpose:
Evergreen enrollment to community + course material (maybe not as high end of a membership)
Avatar:
Avatar #1: Entrepreneurial Parents
Avatar #2: Alternative Education & Homeschooling Parents
Avatar #3: Engaged, Forward-Thinking Parents
Avatar #5: Teachers and Educational Institutions (will not be heavily marketing to this avatar during Phase 3, but will have a referral system in place that will likely lead to a few of our first clients like this)
Offer:
Young Founders Membership
Guided course with kid training, parent resources, and action-focused homework for kids to do & present to their parents
12 months of membership to the parent & kid communities
12 months of access to all Young Founders trainings & resources
Young Founders Elite Membership
Guided course with kid training, parent resources, and action-focused homework for kids to do & present to parents
12 months of membership to the parent & kid communities
12 months of access to all Young Founders and Young Founders Elite trainings & resources
3 month live cohort where we help kids through their homework, and action steps, plus set them up with buddies to work together with
12 months of weekly live trainings + separate parent & kid Q&A's
Young Founders Educator Membership
Includes everything in Elite, for up to 25 student accounts
Purchase additional accounts at a heavily discounted rate
Probably not an offer that will be heavily advertised starting out, but will make it available when people ask about it
Traffic Strategy:
Joint Venture Partnerships
Paid Traffic - Meta, LinkedIn, YouTube/Google
Organic Facebook & LinkedIn (DM & Communities)
Referral/Affiliate Program for Clients
ConvertKit Creator Network
Sales Strategy:
Evergreen Webinar Funnel
Evergreen PLF Style Launch Funnel
Challenges
Live Events
Webinars & VSLs with the CTA leading directly a checkout page
Avoiding 1:1 sales and fulfillment calls as much as possible to keep the business lean and scalable with less staffing needed
Will adjust where necessary
Product Delivery:
Very similar to delivery during Founding Member Launch, with improvements based on what we've learned up to this point
Business Incubator Program
Purpose:
To nurture and accelerate the growth of promising student-led startups by providing resources, mentorship, and investment
To partner with students we believe in, while acquiring valuable assets for our business
Avatar:
Current Members
Avatar #4: Young Adults and Recent High School Graduates
Offer:
Advisory Board: Access to a board of experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts.
Connections: We will share our connections to help the student get access to exactly who and what they need to grow and scale.
Workshops: Regular workshops on key business areas (e.g., finance, marketing, product development).
One-on-One Mentoring: Personalized guidance from mentors with relevant expertise.
Investment: Access to a pool of investors (think "teen shark tank") where the student has an opportunity to acquire financial backing.
Traffic Strategy:
Applications from existing clients
Target young entrepreneurs with paid traffic
Clients can refer a business/young entrepreneur
Application & Interview Process:
Students get their first opportunity to pitch to investors!
Application: Students apply with a detailed business proposal.
Evaluation: Proposals are evaluated based on innovation, market potential, and team capability.
Interviews: Shortlisted candidates undergo interviews to assess their commitment, vision and business viability.
Expand to Educational Institutions 🏫
Purpose:
To integrate YFA's entrepreneurial curriculum into educational institutions, providing teachers with resources to foster entrepreneurial skills in students.
To partner with non-profits and community organizations, giving us the ability develop entrepreneurial values in kids whose parents would never be able to afford it
Avatar:
Avatar #5: Teachers, Educational Institutions and Non-Profits
Offer:
Young Founders Educator Membership (developed in Phase 2)
Ideal for homeschooling teachers and public schools
Includes everything in the Young Founders Elite membership for a class of kids
Ability to choose the exact date the course begins and ends, aligning with the length or quarters/semesters.
Additional professional development training for educators to help them guide kids through the curriculum (educators can play a role similar to parents)
Young Founders Nonprofit Membership for 503(c)(3) and community organizations
Same offer as Young Founders Educator, with scholarships available
Requires an application & acceptance process
Traffic Strategy:
Outreach to schools, districts, and educational organizations
Referrals from clients (especially clients whose kids learn from homeschool teachers)
Partnerships with other youth entrepreneurship non-profits
Sales Strategy:
Educators: 1:1 Sales Calls
Nonprofits: Application process
Product Delivery:
Same as other Young Founders memberships. Educators will have access to an "Educator Community" with specific educator resources.
Team
Stephen Warner
Founder
About Stephen:
15 years combined experience working with kids/families grade K-12 in as an after school program aide, as a youth pastor, and as a volunteer at youth events, camps/retreats & juvenile detention center ministry
Built, trained and led a team of of 50+ adult leaders as a youth pastor, and built a ministry program that ran itself on auto-pilot
Scaled Modern Musician from $20k per month to over $100k per month in less than 2 years as sales representative & sales manager
Oversaw $415,089.19 in ad-spend as COO / Marketing Director at Modern Musician
During 5 years at Modern Musician, became an expert in sales, operations, joint venture partnerships, funnel building, automation building, campaign optimization, team building, curriculum creation, client success & retention, mindset coaching and event coordination
Ate a large Uncrustable PB&J in one bite as a 17 year old because my friend Dave dared me to (most important accomplishment on this list)
Dylan Frost & Dan Meadors
Co-Founders
About Dylan and Dan:
Business partners for over a decade, each with their own powerful stories of being raised in low-income communities, then achieving massive levels of entrepreneurial success against all odds
Responsible for over $36 million in sales in their own business, while having collectively helped their clients generate over $1 billion in revenue
Co-Founders of Ascension Consulting, an entrepreneurial business that helps people get out of traditional 9-5 work by starting their own business or expanding their existing business
Co-Founders of The Wholesale Formula, a subsidiary of Ascension Consulting that trains students on how to set up a physical products based business through wholesale
Co-Founders of Spotlight Brand Services, a management firm that takes over the day-to-day operations of client business to increase brand presence and further scale
Dan specializes in strategic sales and marketing, setting businesses up for scale, and curriculum development.
Dylan specializes is sales messaging, copywriting, and webinar funnel design. (He is the "Webinar Secret Weapon!")
Ben Gauthier
Advisor
Qualifications:
Full-stack software engineer and entrepreneur who has founded and successfully exited multiple companies and holds several patents in the field of technology
Co-founded and exited a next-generation communication platform for non-profits
Founded and sold an interactive-media technology company to a Hollywood production house
Developed and patented a cloud-based SaaS platform that automates live-video editing
I have experienced both incredible failure and success, using both to grow as a leader and entrepreneur. I'm always looking for new opportunities and problems to solve with technology.
Jason Friedman
Advisor
About Jason:
"Theatre nerd" turned serial entrepreneur
Sold his first company in 2008, in the high 8-figures
Founded and successfully exited 4 other businesses
Founder and CEO of CXFormula, where he uses the "Kinetic Customer" formula to grow and scale companies by removing friction and obstacles from the customer journey, unlocking incredible customer success
Has worked with companies like Foot Locker, Adidas, Nike, Universal Studios, Disney, Bank of America, Wells Fargo, Fidelity, Stanford University, and Harvard University
Rachel Miller
Advisor
About Rachel:
Runs multiple businesses, as a stay at home mom with 6 kids!
Has spent over $507k in ads to earn over 8 figures
Founder of Moolah Marketing, where she has sold over 29,830 courses to business owners
Founder of Pagewheel, an AI software company that allows users to create a digital products , website and sales funnel in a matter of minutes
Has spoken on many large stages, conferences, summits, and podcasts, with the largest audience being 81,000 from a single stage
Jason Tonioli
Advisor
Qualifications:
Founded and exited a banking software company
Entrepreneurial musician, currently grossing over $100k per month selling piano sheet music
Owns 2 travel agencies, one in the US and one Costa Rica
Owns a marketing agency specializing in Wordpress, high converting funnels, podcast production, and profitably scaling paid traffic
Currently developing a software for travel agencies to easily build itineraries, communicate with, and keep track of travelers
Partner With Us
We're looking to partner with people who believe in this vision, care about creating an impact, and value leaving a legacy. You're an ideal match if you fit at least a few of these...
You're running a successful business, you're a school administrator, and/or you're part of a homeschool network
You're excited by the vision of helping kids/teens become founders while developing financial literacy
You're motivated by making a huge societal impact
You're someone who brings credibility when featured as an advisor
You're willing to share your connections
Not required, but bonus points if you have an audience of entrepreneurs or parents and are willing to promote (and get paid)
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