Project ECHO (Entrepreneurial Concepts Hands-On)

Project ECHO (Entrepreneurial Concepts Hand On) is a non-profit organization established in 1996 to provide at-risk students with a dynamic alternative education to help them acquire useful vocational skills and entrepreneurship training and experience. The program has since been expanded to include every high school that is interested in our program, which includes accelerated programs, credit recovery programs, and after school programs along with traditional high schools.

The Project ECHO team is made up of a community of entrepreneurs, graduate students, community advocates and experienced educators who are passionate about transforming the lives of disadvantaged students through mentorship and program support activities.

Project ECHO provides a year-long program in entrepreneurship. It produces two High School Entrepreneur's Business Boot Camps in the fall where students learn about ideation, marketing, finance and pitch. Its marquis event is the formal High School Entrepreneur's Business Plan Competition where more than 500 students in teams compete for cash start-up funds. It's held on campus at UCLA Anderson School of Management in collaboration with the Price Center for Entrepreneurial Studies.

Students complete our program with relevant skills in financial planning and analysis, written and oral presentations, social media, marketing, and have learned the technology to support these endeavors.