Graphic Design Students and YEA Event April 4

Graphic design students from Eric Wold’s ART-230 Form and Communication course have been paired with professional business start-ups to provide both creative direction and brand identification systems. The Young Entrepreneurs Academy (YEA) members’ business presentations are from Discreet Aromas, Boujie Koozie, Natural For You, Smooth Traveler, CanDo, and QuickTools. The Clarke student designers are Stevie Eide, Mariah Pellino, Nick Miller, and Maggie Christianson.

The YEA Investor Panel event will be held on Wednesday, April 4, from 5-7 p.m. at the National Mississippi River Museum. This event will occur on the second floor of the building with the large paddle wheel.

The Investor Panel explained by Associate Professor of Graphic Design, Eric Wold is “… a ‘Shark Tank’ event whereabouts each YEA project is presented to a panel of investors from the Dubuque area. Some get all of their investment funding, some do not, and some get even more than they asked for. It is truly a thrilling event.”

YEA members are middle and high school aged student that work diligently to construct a business plan and present their ideas to an investor panel. If they are successful, YEA students obtain funding from the investors, they then legally register their business, participate in a trade show, and launch their own business or social movement.

This is the third year Clarke has partnered with the Dubuque Chamber of Commerce’s Young Entrepreneur Academy. The YEA participants and Clarke students have worked collaboratively to finalize the product and brand.

This event is sponsored by The Dubuque Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with many local business and leaders including Clarke University and the Art + Design Department.