Making the world a better place, one entrepreneur at a time. That’s the mission that TLE Center for Urban Entrepreneurship (TLE) has taken on with the fearless leadership of Tricia Young, TLE’s founder and president, and with the support they’ve seen as a relatively new non-profit making a mark on Boston’s communities.
TLE is an organization with a great story to tell between the impact they’re making on young entrepreneurs’ lives to the way their efforts have continued to bring communities and struggling professionals together. That’s why they’re seeking folks to help tell their story through new and engaging media or content.
I checked in with Tricia Young to hear more about the work TLE is committed to upholding:
Tell me a little more about what TLE does.
“We design and facilitate entrepreneurial programming for entrepreneurs who need access to that training.
But what does that mean? Basically, if someone wants to develop a business or has a desire to grow their own company, we have training programs that walk them through the steps they’d need to do so effectively. We cover everything from developing a business plan to finding resources from various community partners so that we’re not just helping entrepreneurs set up a solid plan but helping them execute it as well. And after executing a plan we’ll still provide technical assistance to support our entrepreneurs’ ventures.”
How would you describe the culture at TLE?
“We are professional but we foster an environment of creativity and where everyone really cares. That’s at the center of what we do: We really do care about our entrepreneurs who, for the most part, fall in a disadvantaged bracket. Our entire team is empathetic in that regard and they’re prepared to help in any way they can.
Everything that we do is centered around being in service to others and, even more than that, around our dedication to providing quality work.”
What interests you about the non-profit sector?
“Doing something impactful and making the world a better place. Our non-profit is specifically geared toward helping young adults who may or may not be in school and may or may not have a job or potentially have a criminal record create opportunity for themselves via entrepreneurship. We pride ourselves in doing the very best that we can and in helping others who are less fortunate than we are.
It’s our goal to show that the opportunity gap is not so significant and to give a chance to people who want to start businesses of their own that may not be possible without our support.
What do you look for in potential candidates?
“I’ll say, first and foremost, personality traits are key. I look for key things: what drives them, where they’re at in life, and what makes them tick – what are they excited to do? Things like that are very important to me.
I also look at things like the ability to learn or… work ethic is incredibly important to me. I always look for folks who are going to give it their all and be the best that they can be. Or I look for people who are open to change and are trainable. Being open to change is very important because I don’t believe we know it all but, if you have a can-do attitude and you’re open to learning things, that’s critical. That for us is fundamental.”
What are some of the opportunities you offer current students?
“We’re currently working on a docu-series project. We’re looking for a production team that will help us be able to create a pilot of something that we’re hoping to grow into a really interesting series. It’s all around entrepreneurs and the life of an entrepreneur, the things different entrepreneurs experience.
It focuses on the realities of entrepreneurship because there’s such a different reality to it. We want to showcase not only the up’s but also the down’s to really set a groundwork for getting a venture up and running and what an entrepreneur has to go through.
I am also an amateur boxer and a boxing fitness enthusiast so we are also hosting a Boxing Fitness event on May 19th. So another opportunity is for students who are fitness enthusiasts and would like to participate in the event. It ties into our docu-series project but it really is not just fun but mission-driven as all the proceeds go back into supporting the programs we offer, particularly for the entrepreneurs who are under-resourced.”
View TLE’s opportunities now!
