While Better Family Life’s annual Kwanzaa Expo was underway with vendors and cultural celebrations recently, a group of young Black boys gathered in a separate room at the organization’s headquarters for a different kind of exchange. They leaned into conversations about pricing strategies, branding, target audiences and what it truly means to build something of value through entrepreneurship.
The workshop on Saturday wasn’t part of the expo’s official programming, but it reflected one of Kwanzaa’s central principles: Ujamaa. The fourth principle emphasizes building and sustaining businesses within the community — particularly Black-owned businesses — by supporting one another economically, creating and maintaining enterprises and building shared wealth.
Saturday Boys Academy, Better Family Life and local business leaders joined forces to give boys as young as 5 a hands-on introduction to entrepreneurship and the idea that ownership is within reach.
“It was an entrepreneurship kind of workshop presented by Better Family Life to our boys,” said A. Keith Turner, an SBA alum and mentor. “They talked about entrepreneurship on a high level and the services that Better Family Life offers, then they really got into the ecosystem of selling products.”
The boys, ages 5 to 16, participated in the two-hour session led by Porsha Anderson, an award-winning business strategist and executive director of the Heartland St. Louis Black Chamber of Commerce.
Anderson challenged them to think critically about margins, revenue, branding and identifying a target audience — concepts many adults don’t encounter until much later in life.
“The activity was super helpful because it gave them hands-on, thoughtful ways of looking at entrepreneurship,” Turner said. “Having a product, setting a price, determining who the audience would be and why — it helped them understand what entrepreneurship actually looks like.”
Anderson also stressed the importance of protecting ideas early.
“Make sure your name is trademarked,” she told the boys. “Trademarking is a process every business owner should go through before registering to make sure nobody else across the United States is using your name.”
For Turner, one of the most valuable lessons was that not all businesses exist to solve urgent problems — some simply exist to bring joy or meaning.
“In business, you’re often looking to solve a problem or a pain point,” he explained. “But sometimes people just want something — a fidget, a keychain, something unique or meaningful. That perspective was really useful for the kids.”
Beyond sparking entrepreneurial interest, the workshop also helped the boys become more informed consumers.
“Once you understand what goes into running a business — pricing, production costs, branding — it changes how you see things,” Turner said. “You understand the dynamics of consumption. You start to understand why prices are set the way they are.”
The boys’ response was positive, Turner said.
“They were excited. They were engaged,” he said. “Engagement is key. They participated, asked questions and they were thankful.”
The collaboration came together organically. Better Family Life hosted the workshop in partnership with the Bayer YMCA, where SBA meets multiple times a month. The event aligned with SBA’s mission to expose young Black males to real-world opportunities and resources.
Founded in 1984 by the late Dr. William J. Harrison, an educator, historian and humanitarian, SBA was created to address a critical need in St. Louis: consistent, intentional mentoring for African American boys. Dr. Harrison began with eight boys between the ages of 8 and 16, guided by the belief that “young Black men need, desire, and deserve a chance in life.” That philosophy continues to shape SBA today.
The organization supplements families, churches and the broader community by offering programs that provide training, instruction, exposure and hands-on experiences — from tutoring and college tours to career exploration in trades such as carpentry and technology.
“We set up men to show young men the best examples of manhood,” said Jay Rhodes, SBA’s executive director. “We do what we do because we feel like it is our responsibility.”
Turner echoed that sentiment.
“The goal is to provide resources that help prepare them for the future — graduate from high school, go on to college, explore careers,” he said. “Our world is their classroom. These are the tools we’re going to give you. These are the people we’re going to put in your path.”
That philosophy was evident throughout the entrepreneurship workshop, where the emphasis was on expanding possibilities rather than promoting a single path. By the end of the session, the boys walked away with more than worksheets and business vocabulary.
They left with greater awareness and confidence and a clearer understanding that entrepreneurship — and informed decision-making — can be part of their future.
“I hope they left inspired,” Turner said. “Inspired to become entrepreneurs, inspired to think differently and inspired to know that there are resources right here in St. Louis to help them get there.”
For Saturday Boys Academy, that spark of inspiration is the goal.
For more information about Saturday Boys Academy, visit saturdayboysacademy.org