For Kanoa and Evan, members of the Bartlett J. McCartin Boys & Girls Club, a $3,000 seed investment marked the beginning of an exciting entrepreneurial journey.

Their business, Community Threads, is not just a clothing brand — it’s a mission to support and promote local artists and businesses through unique, community-driven designs.

Kanoa and Evan’s entrepreneurial spark was ignited during Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago’s StartUp LaunchPad, a four-month program in which members created a business idea, built a team and developed every aspect of their startup business. Club members pitched their ideas to four business mentors with decades of experience and companies valued in the millions. The mentors awarded seed funding to bring the Club members’ ideas to life and move forward with the next stage — launching their businesses.

But as Kanoa noted, receiving the seed money was just the beginning.

“Since pitch day, we’ve been able to get the supplies that we talked about in our pitch, and now we’ve been experimenting with actually manufacturing the clothes with our own designs,” Kanoa said. “It’s been super fun so far to learn about business aspects through a project like this where I’m actually interested in the outcome.”

The funding they received allowed Kanoa and Evan to make their first major investment: a high-quality printer that will remain at their Club, serving future members long after they graduate high school. The process of researching and purchasing this critical tool taught them valuable lessons in decision-making and planning.

“I’ve learned so much just about budgeting, that was a whole new world for me,” Kanoa said. “Obviously, I budget for my personal expenses, but nothing with this much money and this much planning. It has been really interesting to learn how intricate everything has to be and how this spending will affect all other aspects of the business.”

In addition to acquiring the tools of the trade, Community Threads has begun collaborating with local artists, like Abie Vasquez, to bring unique designs to life. Kanoa says their next big step is finalizing the quality and type of shirts they’ll use for printing.

“There’s a lot of decisions and different directions you can go,” Kanoa said. “I’ve always wanted to do clothing designs, and to actually be doing this and organizing it is awesome.”

While Kanoa plans to major in political science in college next year, he’s confident the skills he’s gained through the entrepreneurship program will serve him well in any field.

“Through this program, I experienced how fun and rewarding it is to start a business, especially when it’s something you’re passionate about,” Kanoa said.

Before graduating high school, Kanoa hopes to launch Community Threads’ first collection, featuring designs that celebrate Bridgeport, the vibrant neighborhood that inspired his vision.

Kanoa’s journey is just one of many success stories from the Boys & Girls Clubs of Chicago’s StartUp LaunchPad program. Looking ahead to 2025, StartUp LaunchPad will return, inviting a new group of innovators from across the city to turn their ideas into reality — just like Kanoa did. As the program continues to evolve, BGCC is excited to partner with graduate students from the renowned Polsky Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the University of Chicago.

These experienced mentors will guide and inspire our teens, empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs to thrive. Stay tuned for updates on BGCC's StartUp LaunchPad program and the incredible business ideas our Club members will bring to life

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