Leah Ellis, founder of the Society of Child Entrepreneurs, is building a nonprofit that teaches kids ages 6 to 17 entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and leadership by making it real. Kids launch actual businesses, sell at children’s business fairs, and then workshop what worked and what didn’t so they can iterate and grow. She traces her own entrepreneurial streak from selling five-dollar MySpace layouts in high school to running an in-home daycare, until black mold, a deployment, and the March 17, 2020 stay-at-home order forced a pivot that sparked her daughter’s first business and, by accident, the organization she runs today. We unpack what makes her program different, how she funds and scales a mission-driven nonprofit, and why “nothing about us without us” includes a junior board of directors so kids help shape the curriculum.
---
Episode Resources
Society of Child Entrepreneurs (SoCE) - Leah’s nonprofit teaching entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and leadership to kids ages 6–17. (https://bit.ly/m/SoCEHub)
SoCE Circle - SoCE’s online community and lesson-plan platform for families, homeschool groups, and programs. (https://bit.ly/m/SoCEHub)
Acton Children’s Business Fair - The platform Leah uses to host children’s business fairs; also lets anyone apply to host a fair. (https://www.childrensbusinessfair.org/)
Host an Acton Children’s Business Fair - The “start a fair” page Leah referenced for applying to host anywhere. (https://www.childrensbusinessfair.org/start)
“Profit First” by Mike Michalowicz - Money management framework Leah uses to run the nonprofit with tight budgeting and ROI thinking. (https://mikemichalowicz.com/profit-first/)
Profit First Professionals - The organization Leah worked with (training accountants/bookkeepers/coaches on implementing Profit First). (https://profitfirstprofessionals.com/)
“All In” by Mike Michalowicz - Team/ownership framework Leah referenced for giving board/staff ownership over projects. (https://mikemichalowicz.com/all-in/)
“Sparks to Stars: The Story of Astra & Zeke” by Leah Ellis - Leah’s published children’s book she wrote. (https://a.co/d/i34QqFg)
Bookshop.org - The retailer Leah recommended because it supports local independent bookstores. (https://bookshop.org/)
Search Institute: Developmental Assets Framework (40 assets) - The “top 40 skills/assets” Leah referenced as part of the standards/research base. (https://searchinstitute.org/resources-hub/developmental-assets-framework)
Junior Achievement (JA) - One of the other organizations Leah mentioned that teaches entrepreneurship/financial literacy to kids. (https://jausa.ja.org/)
Lemonade Day / My Lemonade Day App - The lemonade-stand entrepreneurship program/app Leah references (https://lemonadeday.org/mylemonadeday)
YIPPEE Exchange - Entrepreneurship education marketplace/platform Leah mentioned. (https://yippee.exchange/)
The Young CEO Club - Another entrepreneurship-for-kids organization Leah mentioned. (https://www.theyoungceoclub.com/)