As we reflect on the July 2024-June 2025 program year, I am deeply proud of the role the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) continues to play in shaping systems, elevating youth voices, and expanding access to opportunity. This year, NFTE’s impact was visible on some of the world’s most influential stages—signaling a growing recognition that entrepreneurship education is essential to economic mobility and long-term prosperity.
A defining moment was the opening of NFTE’s exhibit, Powering Dreams: The Entrepreneur’s Journey, at the Milken Center for Advancing the American Dream in Washington, D.C., located just steps from the White House. The exhibit brings NFTE students’ stories and aspirations to the national spotlight, reinforcing the power of entrepreneurship education to transform lives and communities.
Advancing systems change remained a central focus. Alongside a coalition of entrepreneurship education organizations, NFTE engaged leaders on Capitol Hill to advocate for equitable access to entrepreneurship education—furthering our founder Steve Mariotti’s vision that every young person should learn how to start a business.
NFTE’s influence also reached the global stage. At the World Economic Forum, we elevated youth entrepreneurship through panels on financial literacy and LGBTQ+ visibility, reinforcing the importance of inclusive, future-ready education in today’s economy.
This year marked the second annual celebration of NFTE Youth Entrepreneurship Day, which received extraordinary recognition, including a Presidential letter from the Biden Administration and official proclamations from Dallas; Miami-Dade County, Florida; Massachusetts; Texas; and Washington, D.C. What began as a call to action has quickly become a movement, uniting communities around the importance of nurturing young innovators.
Our students’ creativity and ambition were showcased through the National Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge and the World Youth Entrepreneurship Challenge, with the latter hosted at the prestigious New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). In April, NFTE was honored to ring the NYSE closing bell, a milestone moment for our organization and the young entrepreneurs we serve.
I also extend my sincere thanks to Michael J. Kacsmar, who concluded his service as NFTE Board Chair at the end of FY25. A board member since 2016 and Chair since 2019, Michael’s leadership has been instrumental in advancing NFTE’s mission.
Thank you for your continued partnership and belief in the power of young people to shape their futures through entrepreneurship.
Dr. J.D. LaRock
President & Chief Executive Officer
Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE)