Junior Achievement of Mad River Region (JA) announced today that it will be celebrating JA Entrepreneurship Week Nov. 16 - 22. The initiative, designed to coincide with Global Entrepreneurship Week, will put entrepreneurs into high school classrooms across America during the week to share what inspired them to start their own businesses and to open students’ eyes to the opportunities provided by entrepreneurship. JA of Mad River Region will be working with local entrepreneurs to impact students in our area.

“JA is known for bringing entrepreneurship education into the classroom,” said JA of Mad River Region President Louise Lambert. “What makes this initiative different is that it is an intensive experience designed specifically for today’s up-and-coming business owner who might not otherwise have time in his or her busy day to engage as a mentor to young people.”

Research conducted by JA shows that while young people look up to entrepreneurs such as Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg, Theranos’s Elizabeth Holmes and music impresario Jay Z, today’s teens may be more risk averse than previous generations and are seeking out mentors and role models to help them gain a better understanding of how to plan for the future. JA believes it is important to provide young people with an opportunity to engage with entrepreneurs to help them better understand the challenges and benefits of starting a business.

JA Entrepreneurship Week accentuates current JA programs by bringing an inspiring entrepreneur into the classroom for one hour during the week to share his or her experience with students. The program is designed to be simple for the entrepreneurs to implement, but impactful for the teens participating. For example, during a JA experience, students can learn how to create a business plan or successfully interview for a job.

To help engage entrepreneurs, JA will be working with several organizations, including the Young Entrepreneur Council (YEC) and the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA).

Clark County entrepreneurs interested in participating can contact JA at 937-323-4725 or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To find out how to become involved with JA Entrepreneurship Week, visit JA.org/Entrepreneurs.