The Business Project
Founder, Henry Blake
Learn it. Build it. Put it into action.
The Business Project empowers young people to turn ideas into action through entrepreneurship and financial literacy classes. Through hands-on projects and real-world experiences, students build the confidence, creativity, and practical skills to develop businesses, make thoughtful financial decisions, and create a positive impact in their communities.
HIGHLIGHTS
1100+
Booklets Sold Online to Bank of America, CBRE and Morgan Stanley
300+
Cards Sold Online from the Made From the Heart Store
1600+
"Giving Tuesdays” Kits Distributed in 9+ States
Business Project Workbooks Sold on Amazon for Entrepreneur Starter Kits
50+
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
COACHMAN FAMILY CENTER
Leadership & Community Impact
Art for Artivism
Adelphi Universtiy
Certificate of Exhibition
WESTCHESTER LEGISLATURE
Achievement Recognition
Art for Artivism
Columbia University
Certificate of Exhibition
BAKE BACK
AMERICA
Leadership In Business Development
IN THE NEWS
From Classroom Learning to Creating Businesses
The Classroom Experience
The Business Project began with entrepreneurship and financial literacy classes at Coachman Family Center. Students learn budgeting, branding, pricing, problem-solving, and empathy through worksheets and hands-on activities. The curriculum expanded into Boys & Girls Clubs and community programs in multiple cities.
Needs vs. Wants Lesson
A real-world business and financial literacy program created and led by student leader Henry Blake
Learning that moves beyond the classroom.
Through interactive classes, creative projects, and real business experiences, Henry helps young people understand the difference between needs and wants - and how smart choices shape a budget, a business, and a community. The program's student work has been recognized at Columbia and displayed at Adelphi Galleries.
SMART MONEY
Budgeting and decision-making
BIG IDEAS
Creative business
projects
REAL IMPACT
Skills used to give-back
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From classroom lessons to gallery recognition, Henry's work shows young people that their ideas can become something real.
Made From the Heart Company
Where classroom lessons become a real student-run business - and young entrepreneurs learn that a great idea can also create meaningful community impact.
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From an idea to a company with heart
Building on Henry Blake's Needs vs. Wants program, students experience the full entrepreneurial journey - from understanding customers to creating, pricing, and selling products that give back.
01 UNDERSTAND
Explore needs, wants, and smart choices.
03 CREATE
Develop products, branding, and pricing.
02 IMAGINE
Use empathy to design for an audience.
04 GIVE BACK
Use business success to support community needs.
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Student-created products. Real business skills. Profits returned to meaningful community needs.
Two Stores. One Shared Purpose
Made From the Heart Card Store
Students created custom stationery, turning creativity into connection, with proceeds supporting local community centers.
The Business Project Store
The Business Project Workbook, accompanied by the Entrepreneur Starter Kit, and other custom activity booklets are designed for the Corporate Kindness program, helping corporations build employee give-back and community service events.
Impacting The Community
Through The Business Project, Henry Blake has turned entrepreneurship into meaningful community impact. By expanding his business, partnering with corporations, and creating products for corporate give-back events, he has helped bring activities, supplies, and messages of kindness to hospitals, Ronald McDonald Houses, and Boys & Girls Clubs across the country. What began as a classroom experience has grown into a business that connects communities and gives back in meaningful ways.
Business Meets Community
Corporate Kindness
More than 1,100 Business Project books have been sold and used in creative give-back events. Henry Blake has helped lead corporate sessions while working alongside employees to package books, materials, and activity bags for children and community partners.
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In-Kind Support for Community Partners
The Business Project in corporate and community settings.
Coca-Cola
Ronald McDonald House
Stop&Shop
Coachman Family Center
Wegmans
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The Boys and Girls Club
Developing Leaders Beyond The Classroom
Giving Tuesdays
Giving Tuesdays is a seven-week empowerment program built around one simple idea: everything you receive is meant to be created for someone else. Each week, participants receive a new set of materials or a project kit to make something meaningful for a friend, family member, teacher, or someone in the community. The program turns kindness into action while building empathy, confidence, leadership, and the understanding that everyone has the power to give back.
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
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1
CREATE
2
REFLECT
3
GIVE BACK
Leadership Incentive Program
The Leadership Incentive Program turns donated and repackaged items, including LEGO pieces, sports cards, and other highly sought-after products, into meaningful rewards for children at little to no cost. Through creative sourcing and community partnerships, these items are distributed to Boys & Girls Clubs and community centers nationwide to recognize positive behavior, leadership, teamwork, and personal growth. The program demonstrates how simple resources can create powerful incentives that inspire and empower young people.
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HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
1
LEAD
2
EARN
3
CELEBRATE
HOW THE PROGRAM WORKS
1
LEARN
2
CREATE
3
LAUNCH
Business Starter Kits
The starter kit turns the workbook into a complete hands-on business experience. Each drawstring bag includes the workbook, a journal, bookmarks, cardstock, markers, stickers, and materials students can use to begin creating and testing their own products.
Turn a Business Idea Into Action
Submit a Business Idea
Do you have an idea for a product, service, or project? Tell us about it! Your idea could be the start of something meaningful.
PRINTABLES
Print. Make. Give Back.
Four projects. Four downloadable printables.
Click on image to print
Meet Henry Blake
Henry Blake is a Bake Back America student leader who created and taught entrepreneurship and financial literacy classes at Coachman Family Center. He expanded the program into new communities, helped students launch the Made From the Heart Card Store, led Corporate Kindness events, co-founded Giving Tuesday, and transformed his curriculum into published workbooks, booklets, and starter kits.
The Boys and Girls Club
Henry brought entrepreneurship to the Boys & Girls Club by helping young people turn their ideas into products they could proudly create and sell. They learned to shape a product, share the story behind it, and see how thoughtful planning and sales could generate real profit. Henry made entrepreneurship hands-on and empowering, showing the kids that their creativity could become something valuable.
The Coachman Family Center
Each week, Henry brings remarkable creativity and purpose to his class at Coachman, making entrepreneurship tangible for the young people he teaches. He connects lessons to real experiences, guiding students from developing ideas and products to seeing those products reach customers through a successful store. The class has made a powerful impression by showing students that their ideas can grow into real ventures and that they have the ability to make them happen.