Have a great idea to start-up or build a business but need financing and help?

If you are 18 to 35 years old, committed to starting your own business and have received training from one of our Community Partners, you may be eligible to become a YBA Entrepreneur.

Are you ready to be inspired by inspiring others?

YBA Mentors are coaches, they meet regularly with their entrepreneur to listen, encourage and help them discover the answers to growing their business. Specialized Expert Mentor support will be available to help accelerate the development of the business.

Help us find tomorrow's entrepreneurs.

Our model relies upon Community Partners who provide training and mentoring to young people to prepare them for success. If you have a program in a community we serve, find out how YBA can help turn business plans into reality.

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Youth Business America (YBA) is a Pilot Program whose mission is to Find, Fund and Mentor young entrepreneurs who need help to start-up or expand their own businesses  which would generate employment and promote the economic health of low and moderate income communities.

YBA is based in Oakland, California and, subject to receiving regulatory approvals, will begin operations in the late summer, 2010.  YBA will initially focus on Alameda County, Contra Costa County, the City and County of San Francisco, San Mateo County and Santa Clara County.

As the model develops into a successful operation, and secures additional resources, YBA will roll out its program to other communities in California with the goal of establishing a national network.

YBA is a 501( c)(3) Non-Profit Delaware Corporation that received start-up financing for its pilot through generous grants from the Arthur Guinness Fund, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and Barclays Capital.  We have received generous pro-bono and in-kind support from professional organizations such as Deloitte LLP; Greene Radovsky Maloney Share & Hennigh LLP; The SalesForce Foundation; Manatt Phelps & Phillips LLP; DLA Piper LLP; Hogan Lovells US LLP and Laura Kuhn Art & Design.

Youth Business America is based on the model of Youth Business International, which leads a global network of independent initiatives supporting young entrepreneurs around the world. In 2009, this global network helped over 8,500 young people start up their own business, and cumulatively the organizations belonging to the network have supported over 100,000 young entrepreneurs.