We hear a lot on this show from entrepreneurs — some successful, some just starting out— about what they do and what makes them tick. On this edition of Out to Lunch we turn our attention to a whole new breed of business people: high school entrepreneurs. 

Deborah Sternberg is founder and chairperson of the Baton Rouge affiliate of a nationwide organization called Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA).

Deborah founded the local chapter of YEA in 2018, after more than a decade as President of her family's business, Starmount Life Insurance and in just two years, the academy has already created some remarkable successes.

YEA partners with LSU's E.J. Ourso College of Business to train its students and help them launch companies by generating business ideas tied to their interests, writing business plans, filing their business with the Louisiana Secretary of State’s Office and pitching to a shark-take like investor panel for seed funding.  

Channing Hall, is a junior at Baton Rouge Magnet High School, where she is a member of the award-winning debate team. Channing is also involved in theater, and is the founder of Backstage, a theater management app she designed that allows directors to better communicate with their cast and crew. The tool is especially useful for small and community theaters that might need a little help with organization.

Trevor Turner is a junior at Catholic High. Trevor is the founder of Dormenity - a web-based real-world service that takes away the stress of college move-in day by combining storage and delivery. Dormenity houses students’ stuff and moves it to and from their dorm rooms each semester, based on orders they place on line.  

Out to Lunch Baton Rouge is recorded over lunch at Mansurs on the Boulevard in Baton Rouge. You can find photos from this show, and much more here.

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