Pitch Challenge Details
Fueling Innovation and Growth at Operation Breakthrough
At Operation Breakthrough, students are not just learning—they’re building, innovating, and shaping a more sustainable future. Through the Green Tech, Garden, and Entrepreneurial Programming, young minds engage in hands-on experiences that integrate STEM, sustainability, and entrepreneurship. In 2024, the Youth Pitch Challenge, facilitated by the Missouri AfterSchool Network, played a pivotal role in amplifying the program’s impact – helping students develop their ideas, gain confidence, and take their projects to new heights.
Empowering Young Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurship is a cornerstone of Operation Breakthrough’s School Age MakerCity and High School Ignition Lab programming. Thanks to opportunities like the Youth Pitch Challenge, students gained firsthand experience in pitching their business ideas, refining their models, and learning what it takes to create a sustainable enterprise. These young entrepreneurs are not just dreaming—they are executing.
Take, for example, Bytes with Soul Food Truck. The students involved in this project analyzed market competition (discovering that Kansas City has 126 food trucks!), learned to adapt their business model, and secured paid events, including a high-profile appearance at Travis Kelce’s CarJam event. The Youth Pitch Challenge provided them with critical insights into marketing, business strategy, and financial planning—essential skills for turning passion into profit.
Bytes with Soul food truck
“Entrepreneurship Microgrants play a vital role in empowering young students by providing the essential resources needed to explore the world of entrepreneurship. These opportunities nurture creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills while fostering a sense of independence and innovation. By equipping students with the knowledge and experience to become future leaders and changemakers, we are helping to shape a generation that will drive economic growth and positively impact society for years to come.”
– Aaron Banks, youth workforce initiatives coordinator with the Missouri AfterSchool Network.
Innovation in Urban Farming
Through the “Growing Outside the Box” shipping container farm, students at Operation Breakthrough tackled food insecurity in Kansas City’s food deserts. With funding support and entrepreneurial guidance, students have produced over 1,400 pounds of mushrooms while implementing sustainable agricultural practices. The Youth Pitch Challenge encouraged students to think creatively about expanding their impact, leading to new innovations such as a pollinator zone, a Living Wall, and enhanced irrigation systems.
Overcoming obstacles is an integral part of the learning process. From bindweed invasions to HVAC issues caused by mushroom spores, students worked alongside professionals to iterate and problem-solve, demonstrating resilience and adaptability—skills crucial for success in both business and life.
Breaking Barriers & Creating Opportunities
Operation Breakthrough serves more than 450 families each year, offering youth a safe space to grow academically, socially, and emotionally. Many students face systemic barriers, but through workforce development and entrepreneurship training, program leaders aim to break cycles of poverty and empower the next generation of innovators.
The Youth Pitch Challenge was more than just a competition—it was a launchpad for dreams. It provided students with mentorship, networking opportunities, and real-world business experience, reinforcing that they have the power to shape their futures.
As Demetrius Richards, a 16-year-old Opportunity Intern, puts it:
“Being at Operation Breakthrough gets me away from reality, and I’m able to just be myself. I don’t have to worry about violence and assaults. I believe the main reason we have so much violence coming from teens is because teens are not being loved. I want more people to experience Operation Breakthrough because it’s a very safe place to learn where we can have a great community, work together, and make names for ourselves.”
Looking Ahead
Opportunity Interns, including Demetrius, at the Breakthrough Breakfasts
With the support of partners like Black & Veatch, the Seaboard Foundation, and local businesses, Operation Breakthrough continues to expand their initiatives, proving that education, innovation, and entrepreneurship go hand in hand. The impact of programs like the Youth Pitch Challenge cannot be overstated—it is an essential step in equipping students with the tools they need to build successful futures.
As they move forward, Operation Breakthrough remains committed to fostering creativity, resilience, and business acumen in the young people served. With every garden bed planted, business pitch refined, and challenge overcome, the afterschool program is not just shaping students—they are shaping leaders, entrepreneurs, and changemakers.
