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Founded in 1999, Entrepreneur Endeavors, Inc (EEI) is a nonprofit organization based in Evanston, Illinois. Its mission is to mentor youth and young adults ages 10 to 25, encouraging them to harness their creative passions and skills while aiding them in developing leadership skills, building self-esteem, and becoming positive role models within their families and communities. One of the key components of EEI's program is that it exposes youth to alternative life options that they might not be easily afforded on a consistent basis. One of the ways this is accomplished is by having adult professionals "shadowed" by aspiring youth who wish to follow in their footsteps, allowing the youth to gain experience and knowledge that enables them to make better choices as they pursue their future goals.
The brainchild of Adrian A. Dortch, a music producer, singer, songwriter, and community activist, Entrepreneur Endeavors, Inc was born out of his desire to effect positive change in the lives of youth, their families, and their communities. A former youth participant in his local neighborhood after school and family programs, Adrian himself benefited from a plethora of mentors and professional adults who took him under their wings and allowed him access to their knowledge and wisdom, an element that was consistently lacking in some of the programming he experienced as a child.
As an adult, Adrian developed a deep interest in working with youth as a mentor and advocate, his fervor propelling him to first volunteer, and then accept employment for some of the same programs he attended as a child. Realizing that he could do more for the youth in his community by developing his own programming as President and CEO of his own organization, he founded Entrepreneur Endeavors, Inc, committing himself to the positive development of youth and the strengthening of their families.
In its inception, in collaboration with Big Banc Productions, a multimedia and music company (Evanston, IL), Entrepreneur Endeavors, Inc began attracting youth through a foundation of music, giving them an opportunity to express their thoughts and feelings through a creative outlet. From its launch to present, EEI has grown to nurture the dreams and aspirations of youth wishing to become doctors, lawyers, architects, music producers, and etc. Dreams become possibilities due to teaching and imparting the fundamentals of business such as planning, marketing, promotion, leadership, money management, and product development.
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