I want to congratulate the new batch of aspiring young entrepreneurs who have successfully completed and graduated from ITServe’s prestigious Youth Entrepreneurship Online Program (ITServe YEP Program) on July 31, 2025,” said Anju Vallabhaneni, President of ITServe Alliance. “At ITServe Alliance, the largest association of Information Technology Services Organizations across the United States, we recognize the potential of youth in transformative initiatives. ITServe YEP Program, with the objective of fostering an entrepreneurial mindset among students, encouraging creative thinking, and the translation of ideas into practical experiences, has accomplished another milestone, enhancing the potential and knowledge of our youth.”
Building on the past successes, the ITServe YEP Program equips students with an entrepreneurial mindset, enabling them to think innovatively and apply their passions to real-world scenarios.
Tanuj Gundlapalli, Managing Director of Corporate Social Responsibility at ITServe, stated, “Since its inception five years ago, the YEP program organized by ITServe Alliance has averaged an annual attendance of 60 students. The response from the participants has been overwhelmingly encouraging. Among those who attended the course, a whopping 85% of them stated that they feel more hopeful about their future possibilities, while 88% said that they feel more confident in their abilities.”
When asked if they would take another course from a similar University, most of them have been overwhelmingly positive. They stated that they would, because it provides great resources to help them understand what to learn, as it helped them observe and create a startup business.
Dinesh Movva, CSR – Secretary, pointed out how the program has been highly appreciated by its participants. “77% of the participants stated that they feel more prepared for college, while 81% of them said that they learned a lot from this course, 77% of them expressed that they learned how to overcome initial failures, and as high as 90% of them indicated that the instructor was responsive to student concerns.”
Sarit Kommineni, CSR Chair (YEP) said, “The YEP program offers a college-level business startup curriculum that teaches students how to establish for-profit or social impact enterprises. Utilizing lean startup methodology and design thinking, participants will identify problems, develop solutions, create business plans, and prepare pitch decks to launch companies. Students will engage with customers to refine their business models based on feedback. Entrepreneurial Mindset Skills are developed through key start-up design principles.”
Tanuj Gundlapalli expressed his appreciation and gratitude to the entire ITServe Treasury Team for coordinating the financial needs for the success of this program. The 6-week online session ran from June 19-July 31, 2025. Registration Fee: $350.
The course was delivered online over 6 weeks, with sessions held twice a week for 2 hours each day.
Apply: Final Pitch Presentations
By the end of the course, students achieve:
● An understanding of Lean Startup methodology for new venture development
● The application of key design principles for establishing for-profit social impact companies
● Development of Entrepreneurial Mindset Skills
● Completion of the Entrepreneurial Mindset Profile® (EMP) developed by Eckerd College
● Construction of a new venture using customer/stakeholder feedback
● Participation in a final pitch competition
Through this program, students in grades 9 – 12 gain knowledge in entrepreneurship, generate and research business ideas, draft business plans, present pitches to investors, secure funding, develop branding, and initiate their business or nonprofit ventures.
ITServe Alliance has established itself as an important resource hub for its members and the broader community, covering topics such as immigration, technology, economy, and other relevant areas. ITServe has 24 Chapters in various states across the United States, offering resources and services nationwide. For more details and information, visit www.itserve.org/yep or contact yep@itserve.org.