Ithaca's Youth Entrepreneurship Market

05/12/2026

Catch us at Rootstock this Saturday!

Our youth vendors are taking over the Ithaca Commons for the Youth Entrepreneurship Market! Stop by from 12-5 PM to shop unique handmade goods, original art, and more while catching some of the best youth bands and performers in the Finger Lakes.
Let’s show these young CEOs some love!

📅 Saturday, May 16
🕛 12:00 - 5:00 PM
📍Bernie Milton Pavilion and the Ithaca Commons

05/10/2026

What an incredible Fish Tank event!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who made this day so special—our amazing judges from Cornell’s Epsilon Nu Tau, our supportive families, and everyone who came out to cheer on our students.

And most importantly—CONGRATULATIONS to our youth entrepreneurs! We were blown away by your creativity, courage, and hard work. It takes real confidence to stand up and share your ideas, and every single participant should be proud.

The future is bright, and we can’t wait to see where your ideas go next!

04/27/2026

FISH TANK PITCH EVENT – THIS SATURDAY!

Join us for our 5th annual Shark Tank-style pitch this Saturday, May 2nd from 10:00 AM–12:00 PM at REV: Ithaca Startup Works!

Students will have 2 minutes to pitch their ideas to a panel of entrepreneurs, followed by feedback and questions to help grow their projects.

Not pitching? Come anyway!

Judges will include members of Cornell’s entrepreneurship fraternity, Epsilon Nu Tau.

02/12/2026

Season 9 of YEM is off to a fantastic start!

We are so grateful for the inspiring voices who helped us launch this new season. A huge thank you to our youth speakers for bravely sharing their ideas, goals, and entrepreneurial journeys. Your leadership sets the tone for everything YEM is about.

We also want to thank our incredible guest entrepreneurs:
• Diane Cohen of Finger Lakes ReUse
• Gideon Stone of Trade Design Build
• Members of Cornell’s entrepreneurship fraternity, Epsilon Nu Tau

Thank you for sharing your time, experience, and wisdom with our young entrepreneurs. Your stories and insights make a lasting impact.

We can’t wait to see what the rest of this season brings!

12/11/2025

12/10/2025

Our YEM community never ceases to amaze us 💛

One of our teen entrepreneurs recently asked fellow participants what the Youth Entrepreneurship Marketplace means to them—then turned their words into this beautiful image.

From confidence and creativity to friendship, leadership, independence, and real-world skills, YEM shows up in so many parts of their lives. Seeing it through their eyes is a powerful reminder of why this program matters.

If you’ve been thinking about joining us, we hope this inspires you to take the leap! Our next season begins soon, and we can’t wait to meet our new group of young makers, dreamers, and doers.

Sign up here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdUIkzpmRl3DuWTCPX31BS1mfNa9ykLBsxuFJLIZ1iXDN8H1w/viewform

11/30/2025

🎉 YEM at the Downtown Ithaca Winter Holiday Bash! ❄️

We're excited that our young entrepreneurs will be vending this Saturday, December 6 at the Downtown Ithaca Winter Holiday Bash! Come out to support youth makers and enjoy vegan hot chocolate, local handmade crafts, treats, and more.

✨ VENDOR PLAN ✨
📅 Date: Saturday, December 6
Location: Tents on the Ithaca Commons
🕚 Time: 11 AM – 3 PM

Bundle up, bring a friend, and shop local youth creativity!

10/05/2025

Come on down to the MACRE Block Party along the Cascadilla creek! We’re here until 7pm dancing, eating, hula hooping, and more!

09/26/2025

This Sunday, September 28, 10 am-3 pm will be the third and last time for this season that YEM vendors will be at the Ithaca Farmers Market. This is a special experience for our young entrepreneurs and we are grateful for the opportunity.

08/31/2025

It’s a beautiful day for youth entrepreneurship at ithacafarmersmarket today! Come check us out behind the pavilion.