LOGOs
Download a high resolution version of our logo here.
OVERVIEW
LITE equips African American and Latinx students with 21st-century skills to create wealth. Our vision is for African American and Latinx students to close the racial wealth gap by becoming entrepreneurs and securing high-wage jobs.
PROGRAMS
LITE begins with the Youth Entrepreneurship Program (Y.E.P.), a 4-month idea incubator for African American and Latinx high school students. Each week, the students learn 21st-century skills to apply to their business plans. Pitch Night is the culmination of the high school program as students pitch their ideas to Memphis. Audience members help in selecting thousands of dollars in additional funds for student ideas.
LITE continues as the Innovation Fellows Program, an 8-year timeline that helps students transition from college into creating wealth in their communities with entrepreneurship careers in their fields of interest. Innovation Fellows have access to paid internship matching, mentor matching, business coaching, and community networks.
IN THE MEDIA
LITE Memphis: Creating Wealth through Entrepreneurship - Storyboard Memphis - July 2022
Philanthropic champion helps teens create business opportunities - WMCTV Action News 5 - March 2022
LITE Memphis helps students build confidence and a brand - WREG Channel 3 - October 2021
Device makers innovate N95 masks to help Memphis face pandemic - Memphis Business Journal - July 2020
Introducing the LITE Memphis Virtual Pitch Winner, Greyson Edwards! - Choose901 - May 2020
Cast Your Votes for LITE Memphis’ Virtual Pitch Contest & RSVP For LITE Pitch Night - Choose901 - May 2020
Students in LITE program compete for cash for businesses in online pitches - WREG Channel 3 - May 2020
LITE Memphis equips students with the virtual platform to pitch their ideas - Local 24 - May 2020
cityCURRENT Radio Show: LITE Memphis - cityCURRENT - April 2020
LITE Memphis Hosts Virtual Pitch Contest Open to Local High School Students - Choose901 - April 2020
Community Foundation grants $210,041 to local nonprofits - The Daily Memphian - January 2020
48 High School Entrepreneurs Share Pitch Perfect Business Ventures… - Choose901 - December 2019
Interview with Lakethia Glenn, Camron Stevens, and Tia DuBose - Local Memphis Live - November 2019
Crosstalk with LITE Memphis - Germantown High School TV - November 2019
Kresge Innovative Projects: Memphis (KIP:M) Grantees 2019 - October 2019
Kresge awards $2 million in grants to support resident-driven projects in Memphis neighborhoods - October 2019
48 Hour Launch Teen Edition Interview with AgLaunch - Local Memphis Live - October 2019
Bright Spot: EdPals make a difference for Memphis teachers - WREG Channel 3 - October 2019
Interview with James Brown and Lakethia Glenn - Local Memphis Live - August 2019
Local teen starts business that benefits teachers - Voice of SCS - August 2019
LITE Memphis: Pitch Night Competition 2019 - Memphis Small Business Quarterly - April 2019
LITE Awarded $5,000 Grant as Top 10 Finalist for Small Business, Big Impact Award - AWeber - March 2019
LITE Memphis - Local 24 - March 2019
Special education support & lunchbox warmers: High school students pitch product ideas to meet needs - High Ground News - December 2018
Students prepare to pitch their business ideas at LITE - News Channel 3 WREG - December 2018
LITE Memphis - Local 24 - November 2018
LITE Pitch Night (12/6) - Teach901 - November 2018
High school entrepreneurs help Memphis shine bright - Launch TN - November 2018
Let’s Innovate Through Education (LITE Memphis) - We Are Memphis - November 2018
Radio Show: Let's Innovate Through Education - cityCURRENT - November 2018
LITE Memphis Pitch Night - The Memphis 100 - November 2018
Teen Innovators Showcase Their Ventures at LITE Pitch Night on December 6th - Choose901 - November 2018
LITE Memphis alums, Rhodes students unite for b2b retail startup - The Daily Memphian - September 2018
LITE Memphis: Our featured non-profit for August 14th - The Social Exchange - August 2018
Let’s Innovate Through Education (LITE) Demo Day - The Memphis 100 - July 2018
Wealth, Poverty, and Race in Memphis — Myths and Misconceptions - The Memphis Flyer - April 2018
Local Memphis LIVE - Local 24 - April 2018
Memphis Teens Are #Winning With LITE Memphis - I Love Memphis - April 2018
LITE Memphis earns national award for fostering high school students into entrepreneurs - High Ground News - April 2018
Allstate and The Atlantic honor 10 extraordinary nonprofits with Renewal Awards - The Renewal Project - March 2018
'We Cannot Move Forward if These Kids Are Left Behind' - The Atlantic - March 2018
Family Focus: Visions turn into reality for student entrepreneurs through 'LITE' - Fox 13 - March 2018
A Memphis nonprofit is opening doors for young entrepreneurs of color - The Renewal Project - March 2018
Building the next generation of Entrepreneurs - Launch TN - November 2017
Monogram Foods Awards $25K to Memphis Nonprofits - Memphis Daily News - August 2017
Thomas: MLK's Fight for Economic Justice in Memphis Means Changing "Systems and Institutions" - WKNO FM - June 2017
Can Memphis keep MLK's crusade for economic justice alive? - The Christian Science Monitor - June 2017
Launch Tennessee Announces Creative Community Partners - Launch TN - January 2017
CONTACT
Press inquiries? Email victoria@litememphis.org