Lemonade Day National Founder Michael Holthouse Names Lomita, California Fifth Grader Brianna Garcia as 2021 National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year

HOUSTON, Texas (Oct. 22, 2021) – Lemonade Day, a national non-profit committed to preparing youth for life through a unique entrepreneurial and experiential program, announced its 2021 National Youth Entrepreneur of the Year: Nine-year-old Brianna Garcia of Harbor City, Calif., who participated in the Lemonade Day Lomita program this summer.

“As our founder Michael Holthouse often says, ‘Attributes of a successful entrepreneur correlate to those of being a successful, thriving human being.’ Brianna embodies that mantra, and we are delighted to recognize her outstanding results,” commented Nicole Cassier-Mason, Lemonade Day national CEO. “Brianna set her business goal, made a plan, worked the Lemonade Day curriculum, and achieved her goals. She is an inspiring model of youth entrepreneurship – all in her very first attempt at owning and operating a business.”

Lemonade Day Lomita is also in its inaugural year. More than 100 kids set up 37 stands in this small, diverse business community with a population of under 25,000. Brianna planned and started Bri’s Frozen Lemonades. Through the process, she learned to set goals, develop a business plan to seek a micro loan, create her lemonade products and other stand items, and market it to run a successful business. Brianna paid back her investor and shared $762.30 of her $1000 profit with Marine Mammal Care Center in San Pedro. She opened a savings account with the remaining profit and hopes to purchase her own phone and Knott’s Berry Farm season passes.

I had so much fun doing this whole thing from designing and making my aprons with my mom, to designing and making my stand with my dad, and delivering my ‘share some’ donation to the Marine Mammal Care Center. It was all great,” said Brianna. Heidi Butzine, president/CEO of the Lomita Chamber of Commerce (the Lemonade Day Lomita license holder), commented that “having one of Lomita’s youth entrepreneurs be recognized as national youth entrepreneur of the year in our first year of the program is incredible. Our community really came together to make this a very special experience for all.”

Brianna participated in the Lemonade Day program because she was excited about the opportunity to make her very own money – money she could keep and donate to a charity of her choice. She brainstormed with her mom and her mentor about what she could do to have a successful stand. She creatively decided to make frozen lemonade and incorporate another business venture – selling necklaces, handmade bracelets, and lemon scented slime. She sought approval from a local chiropractor, Adam Chiropractic, whose office had great visibility and parking, to set up her business in front of his office. To market her business, Brianna’s mom helped her set up and manage an Instagram account, and they also made fliers to pass out at community events, neighbors, and local businesses. She participated in a Quartermania at the local Kiwanis and at the National Night Out event at Adam Chiropractic. She even took preorders for the necklaces, bracelets, and slimes at the events and online. “Now that I have had the chance to run my own lemonade stand and see how great being an entrepreneur is, I am going to continue doing it! I’m currently working with the Lomita Chamber and Ms. Butzine to acquire a real business license and a kitchen license so I can do local events,” exclaimed Brianna.

“Lemonade Day Lomita was an enormous success from the start. Heidi Butzine and the Chamber members truly embraced this program, and the community supported it 100 percent,” stated Lomita Mayor, Mark Waronek. “I visited with many of the aspiring entrepreneurs, drank plenty of lemonade, and sparked some interest from mayors in nearby cities. I cannot wait to watch these budding business owners grow in their life skills and maybe start a business in Lomita or even become the Mayor.”
Lemonade Day will celebrate National Entrepreneurship Month in November and National Entrepreneurship Day on November 16, 2021.

Watch Brianna’s Lemonade Day journey here. (Credit: Erika Garcia)

About Lemonade Day
Lemonade Day is a non-profit organization dedicated to teaching youth important business, financial, character-building and life skills that are the key ingredients of entrepreneurship. Playing a vital role in the education and workforce ecosystem, Lemonade Day is in 84 licensed markets in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, six U.S. military bases, and growing. Visit lemonadeday.org.