How It Works

The HOPE Business In A Box Initiative (HBIAB) will channel and transform a youth’s natural aspiration and state of hope into practical and life changing action steps. Action steps that they can implement themselves, with a little help from HOPE.  

Step 1
Youth complete the Gallup-HOPE Index (GHI) assessment to measure their attitudes and feelings about hope, dignity, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and well being in order to gain insight into how they envision their economic future.  
 

Step 2
Youth are then led through HOPE’s award winning five hour financial dignity program, Banking on Our Future (BOOF). BOOF gives youth access to the knowledge and tools they need to take control of their financial futures—with a message of empowerment, responsibility, and hope.

Step 3
HOPE Business In A Box - It starts with an idea

Youth complete the five hour HBIAB primer course on entrepreneurship. Students will learn the process of turning a personal interest, dream and skill into a viable business idea and the art of pitching that idea. This course will be taught by local professionals and business owners.

Step 4
Next, those youth interested in turning their business idea into a fully operational business have the opportunity to compete in a first-round classroom pitch competition where they will be judged by adult judges and their peers. Finalists from the classroom pitch competition then move on to a school-wide pitch competition.

Step 5
Winners of the school-wide pitch competition will be aligned with a business role model who will work with them over a six week period to further develop their business ideas and to launch those ideas into fully operational businesses.  

Step 6
The new youth entrepreneurs, with the assistance of their business role model, will apply for a HBIAB grant of $50 to $500 to use to help fund their business start-up. Training received through the HBIAB program will help youth develop skills which will serve them throughout their life.

Step 7
At the end of the 6 week session, the new HBIAB youth entrepreneurs will launch their new business ventures with the assistance of their Business Role Models.

Step 8
All youth who take part in the HBIAB Initiative will undergo a second GHI assessment upon completion of the entire financial and entrepreneur education series.  

The youth who complete the HBIAB Initiative will be introduced to key business and financial concepts which will provide them with the tools required to successfully compete in the global economy. This will be done by reconnecting the power of aspiration with the power of education in the lives of today’s America youth.