Inaugural Graduation of the Young Entrepreneurs Academy

May 6, 2025

The first Tulane Innovation Institute Young Entrepreneurship Academy (YEA!) graduation ceremony occurred on Tuesday, May 6, 2025, at the New Orleans BioInnovation Center. Over the past 30 weeks, 30 students representing 15 schools across New Orleans participated in this intensive, tuition-free program designed to cultivate our community's next generation of business leaders.

The YEA! curriculum guided students through every stage of business development-from brainstorming and market analysis to strategy, financing, and product creation. Along the way, students engaged in hands-on experiences, including field visits to the historic Dew Drop Inn, the Chapter IV restaurant, and the Super Bowl opening ceremonies. They also participated in New Orleans Entrepreneur Week programming at Xavier University and learned from visiting guest speakers and mentors.

The program's most significant event was a pitch competition held-on February 24. Students had just three minutes to persuade a panel of judges that their ideas were viable. Their pitches featured innovations in skincare, wellness, and personalized digital-first business models.

The overall Pitch Competition winner, Hayden Le, raised $1,500 in the pitch competition and secured an additional $2,500 during the Trust Your Crazy Ideas Challenge: The Big Pitch at New Orleans Entrepreneur Week in March. On May 3, she represented the Tulane Innovation Institute YEA! Chapter at the National Semi-Finals.