What Is the School of Young Entrepreneurs?
The School of Young Entrepreneurs (SOYE) is based in Point Loma and was founded by Ray Voelker, owner of Warren Walker School. Under Andreas’s direction, the program teaches underserved students the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, entirely free of charge. As the program heads into its sixth summer, Andreas notes with some pride that it’s a mission nobody questions. Unlike harder sells, no one has ever reacted to the program’s premise with skepticism.
Why Andreas Keeps Coming Back to 1st Mondays
Having attended 1st Mondays roughly five or six times, Andreas sees clear, tangible value in the event. Networking tops the list, in just one evening, he met multiple people interested in supporting SOYE’s mission, including potential introductions to school administrators. Since finding underserved students typically requires a warm introduction rather than direct outreach, these connections are essential to the program’s growth. He’s also connected with other founders who share an ethical or community-driven approach to business, aligning with SOYE’s own philosophy of teaching students to think beyond profit and consider their broader community impact.
The Bonds Built Through Shared Struggle
Reflecting on San Diego’s startup ecosystem, Andreas points to a strong sense of mutual support among founders. Even when many entrepreneurs in the same room are working on similar problems, he observes that they show up for one another because they understand firsthand how demanding the entrepreneurial path is. He likens the experience to bonding through a shared hardship. Entrepreneurs supporting each other not despite the difficulty of the journey, but because of it.
The Challenge: Finding Students and Funding
Andreas is candid about SOYE’s two biggest obstacles. The first is finding the right students, while the summer program is open to anyone, the goal is to reach students who lack entrepreneurial role models at home, such as those whose parents work in hospitality rather than business. Schools help vet and refer these students, but reaching them still requires warm introductions. The second challenge is sponsorship, since funding is necessary to keep the program running and “keep the lights on.”
How Startup San Diego Has Helped
When asked what Startup San Diego could do differently, Andreas is straightforward: they’re already doing it well. He describes SOYE as something of a “little stepsister” to the more traditional startups in the room, given its nonprofit, education-first mission, yet Startup San Diego has embraced the organization as a community partner. Andreas credits the organization for introductions to notable figures and institutions, including a memorable meeting with a sponsor and speaker, as well as ongoing partnerships with UC San Diego, which hosts SOYE for two weeks each summer, and Cathy Poucher at SDSU’s Launchpad.
Connect with Andreas
Andreas can be reached directly through www.sofye.org, which includes a contact button that emails him personally, or by finding the School of Young Entrepreneurs on LinkedIn.
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