{"id":176474,"date":"2026-04-26T09:38:11","date_gmt":"2026-04-26T09:38:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/176474\/"},"modified":"2026-04-26T09:38:11","modified_gmt":"2026-04-26T09:38:11","slug":"meet-a-business-leader-connecting-teens-to-entrepreneurship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/176474\/","title":{"rendered":"Meet a business leader connecting teens to entrepreneurship"},"content":{"rendered":"

This article originally appeared in Good Day, Berks \u2014 Spotlight PA\u2019s free daily newsletter for Berks County and your daily dose of Berks County essentials. Sign up here<\/a>.<\/p>\n

This week\u2019s Community Spotlight honoree is Christine Kreisher, 55, executive director of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Leadership Academy<\/a>, a Berks County summer educational program for high school students working toward owning their own businesses.<\/p>\n

This conversation, which took place through email, has been edited for length and clarity.<\/p>\n

Good Day, Berks: Where do you live?<\/p>\n

Christine Kreisher: Fleetwood<\/p>\n

Tell us a little about your family.<\/p>\n

I absolutely love my family. I\u2019ve been married to my husband and best friend, Jim, for nearly 32 years and together we\u2019ve raised three incredible sons. Our family has grown to include their brilliant and beautiful significant others, along with four grandchildren. I call them my \u201cBellababies,\u201d and they are truly the light of my life. Family is at the heart of everything I do.<\/p>\n

Tell us about your work and what you like about it.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m the executive director of the Emerging Entrepreneurs Leadership Academy (EELA) and the founder of Irresistible Teams, where I coach leaders and organizations on building healthy, high-performing cultures. I\u2019ve also owned the Bagel Bar Cafe in Kutztown for over 30 years and am thrilled that our youngest son, Jimmy, is the manager there.<\/p>\n

What I love most about my work is helping people see what\u2019s possible in themselves and having the privilege of walking beside them as they step into it. Through EELA, I get to work with high school students and young adults, connecting them to real-world business experiences, mentors, and opportunities that build confidence and direction. I also get to lock arms with an incredible team of volunteers who pour their time, wisdom, and hearts into these students. There\u2019s something powerful about watching a community come together to invest in the next generation.<\/p>\n

Seeing a student walk into our six-week summer program unsure of who they are or what they\u2019re capable of, and then just weeks later having them stand in front of a panel of investors presenting a business idea with clarity and confidence, is amazing. It\u2019s emotional every time. This is, without a doubt, the most meaningful work I\u2019ve ever done.<\/p>\n

Tell us about a challenge you faced.<\/p>\n

Growing up as the oldest of three sisters in a home impacted by addiction and instability, I learned early on how to be resilient. My childhood and teenage years were challenging and I often lacked clear direction and support, but those experiences shaped my strength, perspective, and drive. I learned to be adaptable and quickly learned the power of the right support system.<\/p>\n

Favorite place to eat in Berks County?<\/p>\n

That\u2019s a tough one as a foodie and coffee lover. I love variety and especially love supporting local small businesses, so it\u2019s hard to choose just one. Of course, the Bagel Bar Cafe is close to my heart. My son Jimmy has created a culture there that\u2019s better than it\u2019s ever been. It\u2019s not just about great food and drinks. Our team genuinely cares about making your day.<\/p>\n

Where would you take a visitor to in Berks and why?<\/p>\n

I would start in Kutztown by grabbing a monthly drink special at the Bagel Bar Cafe, then head over to West Reading to explore the shops and restaurants. We\u2019d finish at the GoggleWorks Center for the Arts. To me, that would be the perfect blend of local culture, art and entrepreneurship \u2014 all the things I love most about Berks County.<\/p>\n

What book, poem, song, or artwork is meaningful to you?<\/p>\n

I\u2019m drawn to anything that speaks to growth and potential. Recently, I\u2019ve been influenced by Richard Rohr\u2019s book, Falling Upward, which challenged me to see growth through a new lens. At the same time, Carol Dweck\u2019s writing on growth versus [a] fixed mindset in Mindset: The New Psychology of Success continues to resonate.<\/p>\n

Who in your life has had a great influence on you, and how did they influence you?<\/p>\n

I feel incredibly fortunate to have learned from so many mentors and leaders over the years, including my sons, who continue to teach and inspire me. I think, though, that my father had the greatest influence on my life. He instilled in me a deep love for all people. He was an entrepreneur, incredibly brave and carried a positive outlook even while battling pancreatic cancer for 18 months. He encouraged me to take risks, pursue my passions and invest in others \u2014 values that continue to guide everything I do today.<\/p>\n

This positive news for Berks County is made possible thanks to a generous grant from the United Way of Berks County, which is celebrating 100 years of service to the community. Learn more here <\/a>| Become a supporter of Spotlight PA here.<\/a><\/p>\n

BEFORE YOU GO\u2026 If you learned something from this article, pay it forward and contribute to Spotlight PA at spotlightpa.org\/donate<\/a>. Spotlight PA is funded by foundations and readers like you<\/a> who are committed to accountability journalism that gets results.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This article originally appeared in Good Day, Berks \u2014 Spotlight PA\u2019s free daily newsletter for Berks County and…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":176475,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[128,130,129],"class_list":["post-176474","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-reading","tag-reading-city","tag-reading-city-headlines","tag-reading-city-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176474","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176474"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176474\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176474"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176474"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176474"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}