The FIT "Early Prep for Industry" (EPI) proposal addresses the need to provide talented, high achieving, and college-capable minority students with socioeconomic challenges, opportunities to pursue skills enrichment, obtain industry exposure, and enhance academic achievement in preparation for inclusion in selected design and business and marketing industries that have experienced limited diversity. We believe that we have developed a program model that will: 1.Contribute to more diverse and dynamic design and business/marketing communities, 2. Foster opportunities for socioeconomic mobility for its participants, and 3. Create an educational outreach model for design institutions.