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BBYO teens pose during their entrepreneurship weekend with speaker Amy Friedman
Lingeman (front row, center), owner of Studio A Center for the Performing Arts.
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BBYO teen girls experienced growth
from entrepreneurship weekend.
Samantha Berger
Teen2Teen Writer
0
ver the last weekend in
February, 15 Jewish teen girls
were treated to a weekend of
fun, learning, new friends and exciting
surprises.
As part of BBYO's Building
Entrepreneurship program, generously
support by a grant from the Jewish
Women's Foundation, the first Building
Entrepreneurship Immersive Weekend in
Detroit provided local teens the chance to
grow personally and professionally while
experiencing the opportunities available in
the city I was honored to be a part of this
initiative and had a meaningful weekend.
We stayed at the Westin Book Cadillac
in Downtown Detroit to get a taste of
the city and learn more about starting a
business from two knowledgeable female
entrepreneurs with successful businesses
rooted in Metro Detroit.
Rachel Schostak, owner of Styleshack,
an online business that creates a way for
small boutiques to sell their products on
the Internet, told us how Styleshack levels
the playing field by giving small boutiques
an online presence. She communicates
with clients through a fashion blog.
She showed us there is currently a huge
market for technology-based businesses,
which was much larger than I expected.
Our second speaker was Amy Friedman
Lingeman, who owns the thriving local
dance studio, Studio A Center for the
Performing Arts. Amy taught us how much
work goes into owning a business and,
more importantly, how supportive our
local Jewish community can be and how
that benefits a new business.
When Amy opened her studio, her
friends helped to spread the word
through the Jewish community, getting
clients in the door. Thanks to her strong
network of Jewish community members,
she continues to achieve her dream of
making kids happy through dance.
I learned much more from both of
these women, who shared their expertise
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and dedicated their time to educating and
empowering the next generation of female
leaders. The Building Entrepreneurship
Immersive Weekend in Detroit was so
meaningful for me because these speakers
not only taught me about entrepreneurship,
but also about life, the media, community
support and how powerful we all can be. If
you believe in yourself and your business,
product or dreams, no one can stop you.
I will apply the lessons I learned from
Rachel and Amy. Both have inspired me
to believe I can do anything and that I
can achieve my goals and my dreams.
I also know now I can count on the
support of my fellow Jews.
This experience helped me create ideas
for starting my own business, which I will
continue to develop throughout the year
during the Building Entrepreneurship
program. There are so many more sessions
to look forward to with more local women,
including Florine Mark, CEO and president
of Weight Watchers Group, and Stacy
Goldberg, CEO and founder of Savorfull.
Along with everything we learned,
we created unforgettable memories in
the city. We went ice skating together at
Campus Martius, rode around town in
a pink Hummer limousine, bowled at
the historic Garden Bowl in the Majestic
Theater and even enjoyed delicious
desserts in Greektown. We bonded as a
group through icebreakers and teen-led
activities, and shared a beautiful Shabbat
experience with services at the hotel.
Building Entrepreneurship is a truly
remarkable program I am so glad to
be part of. I would like to acknowledge
the supporters of this program, the
Jewish Women's Foundation and BBYO,
for making this incredible experience
available to Jewish teen girls. Maybe one
day, I will be sharing my business success
with the next generation of young women
participating in this program.
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248 646-6608
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eaptd &pewee),
Samantha Berger is a ninth-grader at
Cranbrook Schools and a member of Emunah
BBG #156.
1966980
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