Empowering dreams.

Elevator Pitch

We empower underrepresented young entrepreneurs by providing one-on-one support, resources, and mentors so that job seekers become job creators who can help build a stronger economy for everyone.

The Problem and Opportunity

There is a youth unemployment crisis.

18 to 29 year olds have the highest underemployment rate since World War II, and the number of college grads working minimum wage jobs is at its highest rate ever. (AP, US Census, BLS) “America’s unemployed youth will cost an estimated $4.7 trillion over their lifetimes in lost revenue, welfare, crime and health care expenditures.” (White House Council)

Startups—the main drivers of job creation—are dying.

Over 60% of all net new jobs come from startups, but only half as many businesses are being created today as a generation ago. (SBA, Kauffman Foundation) Increasing opportunities and exposure to innovation for poor, women, black, and Latino youth could quadruple the number of innovators in the US. (Equality of Opportunity Project)

The Opportunity

Over 11 million young adults from underrepresented communities in the United States want to start a business, but lack the support and resources to do so. (SBA, Kauffman Foundation) Over 10 million professionals want to volunteer their time and talents to help others succeed. (LinkedIn Research)

Our Solution

Young entrepreneurs (ages 18 - 29) are digital natives, and experienced entrepreneurs are busy and not always located where the need is. Our remote advising and mentorship opportunities allow volunteers to connect with young entrepreneurs in a way that is both convenient and effective. There is no easier way to make a lasting impact!

Our Three Core Services...

Training: young adult-adapted entrepreneurship learning pathways by content area, industry, stage, etc.

Advising & Mentoring: we recruit, screen, train, match, and support young entrepreneurs & volunteers in one-on-one, flexible, and meaningful engagements.

Funding: risk-tolerant startup grants for young entrepreneurs (under development in 2018).

Drive Growth...

Skills Development: hard & soft skills, mindset development, confidence, awareness, and knowledge.

Opportunity: sales opportunities, business resources, connections, and capital.

Leading to Impact

New businesses and jobs created by underrepresented young entrepreneurs in underserved communities.

Employability and life outcomes improved through practical business experiences and increased social capital.

Our Advantages

The skysthelimit.org platform is live and ready to scale quickly.

13 software developers and two designers have written over 50,000 lines of code to build and deploy our platform.

There is major demand for our services.

Over 10,000 users are on our platform, with 1,200 added in the past 30 days.

We're Alone

While many brick-and-mortar entrepreneurship programs exist for kids or the general adult population, we are the only national program focused on the unique needs of underrepresented young adult entrepreneurs.

We’ve secured substantial initial funding.

We have raised over $3m in grant funding from diverse sources, including world-leading corporations like eBay and Accenture - with ongoing funding for tech through 2020.

Our Nationwide Community

Over 10,000 young entrepreneurs and volunteers in over 40 states.

Press Mentions

Note: We are doing business as skysthelimit.org though our corporate name remains Youth Business USA. We plan to eventually retire that brand.

Virgin.com

How AI and tech are disrupting non-profits

Accenture.com

Accenture Commits US$200 Million to Education, Training and Skills Initiatives Over Next Three Years to Equip People Around the World for Work in the Digital Age

Association for Enterprise Opportunity

LINKING YOUNG ADULTS TO MICROBUSINESS: Providing New Pathways to Economic Opportunity

Our Team

Bo Ghirardelli

Co-Founder and CEO

Bo knows that talent is everywhere, but opportunity isn’t. He leads operations, outreach, program design, and fundraising for Youth Business USA. His focus is to meet the needs of our young entrepreneurs. Bo also founded and built a successful business accelerator for low-income young adults in Morocco during the Arab Spring, serving over 1,500 entrepreneurs nationally.

Nicolas Cary

Co-Founder and Chairman

Nicolas leads our Board of Directors, strategic partnerships, and strategy of for our skysthelimit.org platform. He is also the co-founder and President of Blockchain, a financial technology company with over 20 million users of its digital platform. Nic has raised over $70 million in venture funding from top global investors, like Google and Sir Richard Branson. He was named “European Digital Leader of the Year” in 2015, and the World Economic Forum recognized Blockchain as a 2016 Technology Pioneer.