The Hampton Roads Select, are an elite group of future youth business owners who have, under the direction of mentors, been given the opportunity to develop, brand, and sell their product at the Hampton Roads Kids Expo. The Bennett Center has partnered with sponsors to provide the children with $1,000 to launch their business. These elite youth were chosen to receive guidance in:

• Creating an LLC.
• Creating a Business Plan
• Opening a Business Account
• Branding a Product
• Marketing a Product
• Raising Capital
• Creating an Elevator Speech
• Networking

Jasmine Thomas is a 15-year-old writer, International podcaster, content creator, and business owner. She is also the Owner of Girls Living Boldly LLC. a female empowerment organization that promotes Personal Growth and Self Improvement to teenage girls aged 11-17. Jasmine has a mission to give girls the tools to be confident and live boldly without the fear of judgment. Her vision is to empower girls to live boldly every day.

Jaida James is a 14-year-old fine arts painter. Her art enhances the aesthetic of personal and professional spaces. Through the use of unique fine art, Jaida uses positive representation of black women to give them a voice. She inspires black women to step up to be seen and heard unapologetically. Jaida provides acrylic and mixed media paintings, self portraits, paper and canvas prints, greeting cards, printed merchandise, paint parties.

Eli Mackey is a 10-year-old lover of nature and all things animal. He loves to nurture young explorers like himself to love and appreciate nature, while encouraging them to have a lifelong love for wildlife and the environment. Eli conducts educational classes and produces videos that talk about his adventures. He is also the author of 'Eli's Slimy and Scaly Animal Facts'.