These entrepreneurs are well on their way to completing the rigorous Kauffman Foundation FastTrac program and have invested weeks of work toward bringing their entrepreneurial ideas to fruition. They look forward to sharing their ideas and securing investments and interest through the Spark Tank Pitch Event in Ferguson, MO.
Meet Netta House
Netta is a local resident near the Ferguson area. She has a passion for children. She has a bachelor's degree in nursing from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Her vision is to open a Christian daycare to build up the future generations in Ferguson, MO. She hopes to instill educational and spiritual values holding on to the scripture that you train up a child the way they should go, and they should never depart from their ways.
Meet Russ Sauer
Russ has developed a unique apparel decoration application and is using it as the basis for his apparel design and production company, Fashion. Fashion will also lead and partner with other Ferguson and North County leaders in an initiative to create the Ferguson Garment District. The initial phase of this project will be the setup of an educational and limited production facility to share knowledge essential to a successful long-term apparel design and production company. Russ currently works with The Dred Scott Heritage Foundation, Marty Casey's UnGun Institute, The Korey Johnson Foundation, Rides and School Supplies, among other St. Louis area enterprises.
Meet Steven Johnson and Brenda Young
This mother/son duo already has many accomplishments under their belts individually, but are collaborating on expanding their CDL truck driving school in the Ferguson community to make a greater impact.
Steven Johnson is the CEO of Five Star CDL LLC – Driver Training, and AAA Transit Group LLC; a regional trucking company serving the St Louis, Missouri metropolitan area, and all regions within 400 miles of St. Louis. Their goal is to equip people with the skills to not only drive commercial vehicles, but to show them how to become owners of viable businesses associated with transportation.
Brenda Young is a Ferguson community leader and has left her thumb print in the community in multiple ways. She runs a vocational consultant private practice to assist persons with disabilities and serves as an expert witness with the Social Security Administration. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Bible studies, a master’s degree in guidance and counseling, and is an ordained minister. She’s an author of many seminars and training tools for small groups and is CEO of B. Young Originals, designing and manufacturing women’s hats for department stores around the US.