I had the honor of being a part of the Columbia Young Entrepreneurs Program back in the summer of 1997.
At the time I was a high school sophomore stumbling around in the dark trying to figure out how I wanted to pursue a career in business.You see, I had a dream of becoming a sports agent.
It was the YEP Program and the direction of Malla Haridat specifically that provided me the career and business acumen training that put me on my path.
Countless afternoons even after the formal program had ended, I was able to get counseling on the business skills needed to be successful.
I was taught how to effectively communicate, build the drive and overall dedication to pursue my goals and build my confidence. I was provided an opportunity to further improve my skills when Malla asked me to work with her in another program some two years later.
I give large credit to her dedication and mentoring which has helped me along in my career today, where I proudly work for Microsoft after having completed my MBA at Wharton and undergraduate degree at Harvard.
Justice Reid, Columbia YEP
My passion to launch and build businesses enterprises blossomed over a decade ago when I participated in the Michael Milken Young Entrepreneurs Program at Columbia Business School, a program coordinated and led by Ms. Haridat.
Looking back on that experience, it is remarkable how much insight she provided.
Prior to the program, I had never given serious thought to becoming a business owner. However, under her guidance I wrote my first business plan and prepared my first presentation soliciting funding to angel investors and venture capitalists.
Since then, she has provided a similarly vital role in each of my entrepreneurial undertaking (while working at large corporations and start-ups), providing strategic oversight on matters concerning operations, cost management, and business development.
She continues to play a vital role in my continued success and I view her as a teacher, mentor, and confidant.
Vernon Beckford, Columbia YEP
The Milken Young Entrepreneurship Program (YEP) may have been the most important formal education I have had.
I have always wanted to be wealthy, but until participating in YEP my assumptions about how I would earn that wealth were limited to what I saw my relatives doing and heard my friends and family speak about – learn a trade and buy property.
After participating in YEP I appreciated that there were a greater range of possibilities. We visited wholesalers, and learned about buying in bulk and selling retail. We learned about the stock market.
I learned about the long term differences in pay for college educated individual verses non-college educated individuals; this in conjunction with the lesson on an entrepreneur’s need for seed capital is probably why I decided to go to college.
Kevin Douglas, Columbia YEP
One of the biggest takeaways after participating in the YEP program was the importance of serving and giving back to your community.
One of the projects for YEP that stands out most for me was my leadership role in was coordinating a fashion show for free at a local elementary school.
This event helped me realize that I have a gift. I can use it both for my personal gain in terms of income and success and to share with those who may have not been afforded the same opportunities.
Still to this day service is a part of my life and that was an “a ha” moment at a very young age.
Alike Carrington Fuller, Columbia YEP
