Local charter school is helping to create young entrepreneurs

CHARLOTTE, NC —  For Laila Minott starting a school to teach kids about entrepreneurship was a dream that became a reality with A.C.E. Academy. 

The charter school founded by Minott is most well known for its Young Moguls Club which teaches students how to start their own businesses. 

“We’re teaching them financial literacy. We’re teaching them about how to start a business and launch a business where they should sell their product, what kind of business they should even create,” Minott said. 

 Students in Young Moguls have created small businesses which have earned more than $30,000 to date. 

Minott said the key is to teach kids a business mindset at an early age. 

“I think the sooner and the earlier that we teach kids financial literacy and teach them how to monetize their passions and their skills, the better everyone and the community will be.” Minott said. 

The curriculum also includes valuable skills like managing stock portfolios and learning how to build wealth. 

“A lot of our kids here also have stock portfolios, so they take their profits from their businesses and then they invest into their stock portfolios,” Entrepreneurship director Shawn Smalls said. 

With black owned businesses making up only three percent of all employers in the US….  director entrepreneurship Shawn Small said  its important for black students to learn entrepreneurship skills. 

“So it gives them the whole big lifeline that now they can actually, utilize each other’s talents and, and just grow out their businesses from scratch.and so it just feels real good to see that,” Smalls said.