Indiana Black Expo mentors teenage entrepreneurs

INDIANAPOLIS — Entrepreneurship is based on the belief that any great idea can become a business. There is no age limit to great ideas, and Indiana Black Expo hopes to develop the state's youngest business minds.

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IBE's annual Youth Entrepreneur Series hosted dozens of middle school and high school students with business ideas. The two-day event connected them with mentors and provided them with feedback on their business plans.

It concludes with a pitch competition on Wednesday, in which the teenager with the best business plan wins $500.

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"We had about 45 to 50 kids in that room," said entrepreneurship mentor India Brown, who runs a consulting agency in Indianapolis. "If they took off, I could see the economy booming for us.

The crowd included Brooklyn Beverly, a 15-year-old Herron High School student who hopes to make a living as an artist.

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"I've been drawing ever since I can remember," Beverly said. "I'm actually taking small commissions right now."

Brown believes mentors should encourage the teenagers' creativity as they develop their business skills.

"Everybody thinks it's always about the money, when really it's about what you're thinking about as a business owner," Brown said. "I saw this one little girl who makes crochets and said, 'Do you know what problem you're going to solve? You're going to help these mommies whose babies need personalized clothes to take pictures."

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Beverly said she is now more prepared to sell her artwork after the course.

"At first, it's scary because everyone is judging you and all eyes are on you, but after a while, you see that there's more positive reactions than negative," Beverly said.