BUILD

Just back from hitting the ground in DC with the Coalition for Entrepreneurship Education crew: Corey Mohn (CAPS Network), @Lisa Dughi (NAF), Thais Rezende (BUILD), Tom Smith (Virtual Enterprises International, Inc.), J.D. LaRock, J.D., Ed.D.(Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)), Amy Lore (Project Lead The Way) and Elizabeth Texeira (American Student Assistance). We weren't there for sightseeing – we were running from rep office to office, talking policy (Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act (WIOA) and others) to power up career readiness and real economic mobility for our students across the nation. Here's the thing: Entrepreneurship isn't just a skill, it's the engine of human innovation. If kids are asking "When will I ever use this?", WE are failing them (not the other way around). Entrepreneurship flips the script – it connects learning directly to their ideas, THEIR motivation. Instead of "when will I ever use this" you'll start hearing "how can I learn this as quickly as I can so I can use it in my work??" It's time we stop treating entrepreneurship education as a 'nice-to-have'. It needs to be a standard playbook for all students, building the adaptable, problem-solving mindset they actually need to thrive. That’s the future we’re fighting for at @The Possible Zone, with a lot of help from our friends too. J.D. LaRock, J.D., Ed.D. and Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE): thank you for getting us together, and to the entire team present --it's an honor to serve alongside you all. Let's make education relevant. Together. #youthentrepreneurship #careerpathways #FutureOfEducation #EdInnovation #publicprivatepartnership #TPZ #EconomicMobility

The Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) has brought together a coalition of the nation’s leading entrepreneurship organizations. We were on Capitol Hill this week to advocate for our BIG GOAL – to make entrepreneurship education a standard part of U.S. schooling! To achieve this, we’ll need support from our nation’s leading policy makers. That’s why we hosted a Congressional Briefing to explore how entrepreneurship education serves as a vital bridge to work-based and skills-based learning, and we were honored to see some of the leaders and staff members at the most important Congressional offices take part!   Many thanks to Lisa Dughi from NAF, Thais Rezende from BUILD, Tom Smith from Virtual Enterprises International, Inc., Gus Halwani from The Possible Zone, Amy Lore from Project Lead The Way, Elizabeth Texeira from American Student Assistance, and Corey Mohn from CAPS Network for joining NFTE this week.   We were very pleased to engage in meaningful conversations with Congressional leaders and their staff, including:   Rep. Jasmine Crockett (w/ Sofia Arias) Rep. John Mannion (w/ Ben Picciano) Rep. Andre Carson (w/ Madeleine Easley) Rep. Claudia T. (w/ Zev Siegfeld) Rep. Bobby Scott (w/ Emanual Kimble, M.A.Ed.)   And from the Senate side: Sen. Bill Cassidy (w/ Jake Easterly) Sen. Andy Kim (w/ Sarah Taffet) Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester (w/ Grace Scott)   Thank you to all who took the time to meet with us; we look forward to continuing the conversation and advancing toward our goal!

We are thrilled to welcome SVB as a proud team sponsor for BUILD Boston! We’re empowering students to become the CEOs of their own lives, equipping them with the entrepreneurial skills and mindsets to BUILD the Future they envision. 💡 Want to be a partner in transformative impact? Join us at BUILDFest at Fenway Park on May 27th to meet the teams and see how you can support the next generation of entrepreneurs! Register here! https://hubs.ly/Q03k7Xtp0 #Entrepreneurship #Youth #PitchCompetition #EmpoweringYouth #Leadership #Innovation

We are thrilled to welcome Valspring Capital as a proud team sponsor for BUILD Boston! We’re empowering students to become the CEOs of their own lives, equipping them with the entrepreneurial skills and mindsets to BUILD the Future they envision. 💡 Want to be a partner in transformative impact? Join us at BUILDFest at Fenway Park on May 27th to meet the teams and see how you can support the next generation of entrepreneurs! Register here! https://hubs.ly/Q03k87jw0 #Entrepreneurship #Youth #PitchCompetition #EmpoweringYouth #Leadership #Innovation

We are thrilled to welcome FreeScale Coaching as a proud team sponsor for BUILD Boston! We’re empowering students to become the CEOs of their own lives, equipping them with the entrepreneurial skills and mindsets to BUILD the Future they envision. 💡 Want to be a partner in transformative impact? Join us at BUILDFest at Fenway Park on May 27th to meet the teams and see how you can support the next generation of entrepreneurs! Register here! https://hubs.ly/Q03k7K120 #Entrepreneurship #Youth #PitchCompetition #EmpoweringYouth #Leadership #Innovation

Today, BUILD CEO Thais Rezende, as part of the Entrepreneurship Education Coalition, will be in Washington, D.C. for a congressional briefing surrounding Entrepreneurship Education and its impact in shaping the future of our nation. She’ll join a powerhouse coalition of orgs like Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE), NAF, Virtual Enterprises International, Inc., Project Lead The Way, CAPS Network, and The Possible Zone to champion entrepreneurship education as a game-changing tool for workforce development and equity.

To wrap up National Volunteer Week, we are celebrating BUILD Metro DC Regional Board Member and Volunteer, Kevin Perry, MBA. Kevin is a Consulting Senior Associate at PwC working in Technology and Transformation. “I was drawn to BUILD because of its mission and impact in the community. I love and appreciate the connection BUILD has with students, providing them with the tools and resources to become CEOs. I would like to continue serving as a mentor and creating opportunities for students.” In his year as a Board Member and volunteer with BUILD, he has gotten a chance to work with all the schools in the BUILD Metro DC program and finds the most memorable moments to be watching students showcase their stories and talents at BUILDFest. We want to express our deep gratitude to Kevin, the rest of the volunteers highlighted this week, and all the volunteers that come together across the country to make our programming possible. Here’s to BUILDing bright futures for our students! 🎉 #NVW #NVW2025 #VolunteerAppreciationWeek #BUILDingFutures #Mentorship #CommunityLeadership #Mentor 

For National Volunteer Week we asked Carolina Tovar Fuentes, Regional Board Member of BUILD NYC, in-classroom Business Team Coach and Manager of Strategy and M&A at Paylocity what attracted her to working with BUILD: “Moving to the US from Mexico when I was 15, I didn't have a network of people to guide me through high school or college applications. This experience ignited my passion for helping students find their way.” “My goal is to provide to others the guidance that I wish I’d had. As a Latina working in Finance at a large technology company, I understand the challenges of navigating a professional environment where you might not see many faces that reflect your own.” “I want students of all backgrounds, especially under-represented ones, to believe in themselves, to have someone they can turn to with questions, and to see education as the key that unlocks a world of possibilities. I love that BUILD equips students with practical skills and helps them build the confidence to thrive in a business environment.” We are so grateful to the kindness of Carolina and all our volunteers. #NVW #NVW2025 #VolunteerAppreciationWeek #BUILDingFutures #Mentorship #CommunityLeadership #Mentor

Our next National Volunteer Appreciation week star is Professor Shazia Khan of Los Angeles Harbor College! “[After being a professor for 16 years,] BUILD gave me the opportunity to help the pre-college youth of the community I work in,” says Shazia. This illustrates her understanding of BUILD’s foundational belief that career skills and an entrepreneurial mindset are an advantage for students of all ages. Shazia began as a judge for student business plan presentations and pitches, and now is an in-classroom Business Team Coach. After volunteering with BUILD for almost two years, she says the most memorable experience has been witnessing the students’ growth—in their presentation skills, critical thinking abilities, and self-confidence—over periods as short as 2-3 months. Thank you Shazia for your support of our LA area students! #NVW #NVW2025 #VolunteerAppreciationWeek #BUILDingFutures #Mentorship #CommunityLeadership #Mentor