“What are your plans for the summer?” That’s a question most high school students are asked each year — or ask themselves.
The answer for some Berks County students is to commit to spending six weeks investing in themselves — focused on what it takes to eventually start a business — by participating in the Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy.
The summer program was launched in 2022 and alternates classroom work and speakers with “real world” experience as interns at area companies.
This year’s academy — the fifth — started June 15 and wrapped up July 31 with an expo, luncheon, and graduation.
“We’re celebrating 37 young leaders who chose growth over comfort by investing six weeks of their summer in themselves,” said Gary Seibert, founder and CEO, Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy and CEO of the Small Business Resource Association. “Through the wisdom of more than 125 local business leaders, they learned that true leadership is built on courage, integrity, humility, compassion, and service to others. Above all, they discovered that success isn’t just about what you achieve — it’s about the kind of person you become.”
This year’s Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy class included students from 11 Berks school districts, including several home-schooled students as well as students from Reading Area Community College, Penn State Berks, and the Pennsylvania College of Art and Design. Students were matched for their internship based on their industry of interest, according to the academy’s website.
In addition to the classroom and internship work, the six-week academy included a Pitch Competition at the conclusion of the program. Teams of students competed by developing a product, then creating a business plan to market and sell the product. Their ideas were then presented to a panel of judges.
On Friday, July 31, the academy hosted an expo, graduation and luncheon. This year’s theme was “The American Dream,” according to academy Executive Director Christine Kreisher.
“The American Dream is about believing that every young person deserves the chance to discover their gifts, develop their leadership, and build a future filled with purpose. Our role is to help open those doors,” Kreisher said.
She added that more than 100 entrepreneurs, business leaders, educators, mentors, internship hosts, volunteers and donors came together this year to create opportunities the students would not be able to access on their own.
“It truly takes a village to raise future leaders, entrepreneurs, and turn dream chasers into dream makers. Berks County has built something extraordinary together,” she added.
Dr. Khalid Mumin delivers the keynote address during the final day of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., on Friday, July 31, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
Keynote speaker for the July 31 event was Reading School District Superintendent Khalid Mumin. Remarks were also provided by Isha Kaur, class representative.
“The EEA program served as an opportunity to surround myself with ambitious and bright people, and see even more growth within myself and everyone around me,” Kaur said of her experience.
Class representative Isha Kaur speaks during the final day of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., on Friday, July 31, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)
David Wise II, owner of Epic Ideas & Pinky’s Junk Removal of Shillington, was one of the classroom speakers this year as well as an intern host and Dream Pitch judge.
“Nobody builds a successful business all by themselves,” he said. “I know I didn’t. I had people in my life who reached out and gave me a hand up when I needed it most. Coming into this with fresh eyes, I just wanted to do the same thing for these kids.”
Wise said the intern his company was assigned worked on launching Pinky’s Junk Removal, adding that the student audited the company website and looked into artificial intelligence tools — ultimately finding opportunities the company was missing.
“By the end, he handed me a list of 21 real, actionable things to work on,” Wise said. “He saved me thousands of dollars in research time, and my team is already putting his ideas into action.”
Lorena Bravo, consultant for the Kutztown University Small Business Development Center, served as a judge for the pitch competition for the second time.
“What becomes clearer to me each time is that any young person willing to devote six weeks of their summer to working in a team, researching an idea, completing an internship, developing a business plan, and presenting that plan before a panel of adults deserves to be celebrated,” she said.
The students are developing skills that extend beyond entrepreneurship, to include “collaboration, initiative, public speaking, critical thinking, and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to receive feedback with openness and gratitude,” she added
One aspect of the academy receiving renewed focus is its alumni organization. With this year’s graduates, the academy has about 130 alumni. A major focus, Kreisher previously told MediaNews Group, is to have quarterly events for alumni and enrolled students.
Kreisher said the camp is the beginning of being part of a lifelong support system for the graduates. She noted there is a strong alumni leadership team in place — mentoring, planning events, shaping programming, and helping lead the future of the academy.
“That’s when you know you’ve created more than a program. You’ve created a movement,” she said.
Grace Chen is a student at Wilson High School, a 2026 EEA graduate and now part of the alumni programming and support.
“The Emerging Entrepreneurship Academy has been a life-changing experience,” she said. “Throughout these six weeks, I’ve learned invaluable lessons about business and life, and I’m grateful for everything the team has done for us.”
As this year’s EEA comes to an end, Wise has a message for parents of local students: “Get them into this program.”
“People ask, ‘What kind of teenager gives up six weeks of their summer break for this?’ A smart one. A brilliant one. They aren’t losing six weeks of summer, they’re investing in their future,” he said.
Rebranding the Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy
In February Seibert announced the program would be renamed the Emerging Entrepreneurs Leadership Academy. Much of its material was already focused on leadership development and critical thinking skills, Kreisher told MediaNews Group. She said the new name reflects the organization’s critical mission — to inspire entrepreneurship and to cultivate future leaders.
However, organizers said they decided to keep the original name this year to avoid any possible confusion.
Dr. Khalid Mumin delivers the keynote address during the final day of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Academy at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., on Friday, July 31, 2026. (BILL UHRICH/MEDIANEWS GROUP)