Chamber of Commerce to launch Young Entrepreneurs Academy

Mira Costa High School freshman Ryan Ulrich applied for the Manhattan Beach program because he’s interested in starting a surf clothing line.

With median home prices in the $1 million range, Manhattan Beach is no place for beach bums.

Maybe that’s why the Manhattan Beach Chamber of Commerce is creating a business incubator — so that kids will one day be able to buy a home in the place they grew up.

Breathing the entrepreneurial spirit into one of the most privileged populations in the U.S. shouldn’t be that hard.

“When you’re young, you have more energy and you don’t fear rejection,” Manhattan Beach Chamber President James O’Callaghan said.

The Young Entrepreneurship Academy, as the program is called, will begin Jan. 5 and run through the end of the school year.

The Academy will show middle and high school kids how to apply for a business license, create a professional website and approach prototyping studios to manufacture their products. There will also be presentations from leaders of local businesses, including Skechers.

Inspired by the founders of tech companies like Apple and Google, 15-year-old Ryan Ulrich has applied for the program.

“I always thought it was cool to take an idea that you have and create something that’s completely your own,” Ryan said.