Future Leaders Youth Entrepreneurship ProgramEmpty heading

Mission:

The mission of the Future Leaders Youth Program is to uplift and empower under resourced youth and young adults through financial education and entrepreneurship programs. Through our programming we provide opportunities for personal and economic growth and development for the youth and young adults in our community.

Overview

The MESO Future Leaders Youth Program partners with local schools and community partners to provide entrepreneurship and financial literacy programming for youth and young adults. We currently offer classes for youth from third grade through 24 years of age.

Our youth program includes:

Classes and workshops
In-school programming
Programming with community partners
Custom made entrepreneurship courses
Youth marketplaces
Spring and summer camps
Career panels
Business coaching
Hands-on experience

Grow a business and gain financial skills

FUTURE LEADERS TEAM

MARY LEE ALDER

Director of Program

Mary Lee brings more than 20 years of nonprofit experience to MESO. She was a senior development officer, then planned giving officer at Medical Teams International, then development director at SEI, then chief development officer at Girl Scouts of Oregon and SW Washington. Her development experience helps inform funding priorities and strategies for the Program department, and her executive management experience fits nicely with the other members of the leadership team. Mary Lee and her husband Scott like to ski, golf, hike, kayak, and walk their dog Shrimp Scampi.

LAUREN O'GARA

Youth Services Program Manager

Lauren comes to MESO with a background in education and a passion for serving the community. Lauren has a Master’s of Education from the University of Washington and has worked as a teacher for 15 years with a focus on educational leadership and equity. Lauren started with the organization in May of 2022, and she has loved working with MESO clients and community partners to create engaging and culturally responsive youth entrepreneurship programming. Outside of work, Lauren enjoys spending time with her husband and 2-year-old daughter, hiking, camping, and sharing meals with family and friends.

AMBROSIA JOHNSON

Youth Service CoordinatorEmpty heading

Ambrosia has over 15 years of experience working with youth and families in social work, including five with Oregon’s Department of Human Services, where she held the positions of Case Aid, Case Management Coordinator, Social Service Assistant, and Family Time Coordinator. She worked as a Housing Specialist for homeless youth through Outside In and was a Dance Instructor for the Police Activities League for several years. Through these unique experiences, Ambrosia brings a case management skill set that also is empathetic to the human aspect of data. She is a budding serial entrepreneur and has spent the last five years building her retail business, The Lamb Boutique.

Ambrosia is a wife and mother of 4 beautiful children. She loves watching TV shows, doing activities with her kids, going to restaurants, and being creative in the arts.

Ambrosia comes to MESO eager to bring her experiences together from the worlds of case management and creativity, to build the opportunities that impact the community!

uPDATES

Stay up to date on the latest events and opportunities

MESO at the State of Black Affairs Summit 2023!

We were thrilled to host a captivating panel discussion on entrepreneurship and the secrets to building and sustaining successful businesses at this year's summit.

Our incredible panelists included Lisa Willis, life coach extraordinaire, Joe McPherrin, the visionary behind non-profit POIC + RAHS, Ambrosia Johnson, the inspiring owner of The Lamb Boutique, Denise Tupper, MESO's very own IDA manager, and Ahquoya Brooks, our talented Business Development Manager.

This event was hosted by Oregon State University at their Portland OSU campus in downtown Portland.

Announcing the B.L.A.Z.E Entrepreneurship Cohort for Youth

MESO and Brown and Carter Management Group have collaborated to successfully launch the Building Leaders And Zealous Entrepreneurs (BLAZE) program in July. This program includes a cohort of 6 young adults who will develop their business ideas over the course of one year. Participants attended a one-week intensive training located at the MESO Maker's Market, and they visited several MESO businesses to learn from local entrepreneurs about their experiences with entrepreneurship. The entrepreneurs in this cohort will continue to receive monthly trainings, business coaching, and up to $4500 to invest in their business. Please keep an eye out for updates about the BLAZE program and future opportunities to support these young entrepreneurs at local markets and events!

CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT B.L.A.Z.E.

5-Week B.E.A.M. Entrepreneurship Program Coming Up

MESO has partnered with the Black Educational Achievement Movement to offer weekly summer programming to a cohort of 13 middle and high school aged youth. Participants in this program have learned about entrepreneurship while exploring topics such as finance, marketing, developing products and services, and customer service. The youth in this program also visited MESO businesses to learn from local entrepreneurs about their experiences with entrepreneurship. The summer programming will culminate with a youth business pitch event hosted by Albina Vision Trust on August 16th. The youth will also host a "Youth Market Pop-Up" at the BEAM Block Party on August 18th. Youth will be selling various products that they have created such as t-shirts, tote bags, fashion pens, bracelets, unique art pieces, and more! Please contact the Youth Services Manager at logara@mesopdx.org if you would like more information about these upcoming youth entrepreneurship events.

Special Thanks:

We want to send gratitude and appreciation to all the MESO businesses who took the time to share their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of entrepreneurs! Big thanks to Queendom Cuts, DB Desserts, Callie's Custom Wigs, The Lamb Boutique, Champion's Barber Shop, Ella Dean, DC Ringz, Designs by Le'yon, and Bishop and Sons PDX!

Interested in Getting Involved?

We'd love to hear from you!