[SANTA MARIA, CA. March 25, 2025] - The NextGen CEO cohort of Spring 2025 will kick off March 27, 2025, featuring over 20 student participants learning how to start and run their own business.
NextGen CEO is a nine-week digital business education course that teaches kids the basics of starting their own business, courtesy of the Santa Maria Valley Chamber. The program is targeted to those at a sixth-grade learning level and covers five main categories, including business fundamentals, cost models, marketing and customer service, money management and future planning.
At the end of the program, students will launch the businesses they have worked on during the course, and have the opportunity to sell their product to the public.
The Spring 2025 cohort of the program is in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mid Central Coast, hosted at the Railroad Clubhouse and Evans Park Club sites in Santa Maria.
"In 2024, our Guadalupe Club Members had an amazing experience with the Next Gen CEO program and we are thrilled we can expand this to even more kids in Santa Maria. I was so excited to see how passionate our Club Members were about starting and marketing their own businesses. The skills they learned and the fun they had aligns perfectly with our goals in serving kids with high impact after school programming," shared Anna Libbon, Chief Program Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast.
“By providing these students with the skills and knowledge to start and run their own businesses, we’re not just shaping their future— we’re empowering them to shape the future of our community. This partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Mid Central Coast is a testament to the power of education, collaboration, and innovation. We look forward to seeing these young minds turn their ideas into reality,” said Chamber President & CEO Michael Boyer.
For more information on the NextGen CEO program, visit https://www.santamaria.com/education-workforce/nextgen-ceo/.
About Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast:
Founded in 1966, Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast have been helping kids aged TK–18 create Great Futures. Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast provides after-school tutoring, mentoring, and access to healthy activities. Located on the Central Coast of California in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties, we have 10 club sites in Atascadero, Creston, Guadalupe, Paso Robles, Santa Maria, and Shandon. For more info about Boys & Girls Clubs of Mid Central Coast, please call Kelly White O’Neill at (805) 354-7433 or via email at Kelly.whiteoneill@centralcoastkids.org or visit centralcoastkids.org
About the Santa Maria Valley Chamber
The Santa Maria Valley Chamber is committed to advocating for businesses, driving economic development, and enhancing regional prosperity. Through strategic partnerships, policy leadership, and economic initiatives, the Chamber plays a vital role in shaping Santa Maria’s future. For more information, visit www.santamaria.com
