“It Changed My Life”: How The Gray Matter Experience Is Turning Teen Entrepreneurs into Future Leaders

When Emmanuel Thompson first set out to build a mental health app in high school, he had a big dream, but few resources. Like many young entrepreneurs, he found himself navigating a maze with no map, limited guidance, and an overwhelming sense that he was out of his depth.

“You kind of run into a lot of different challenges when you're trying to start something like that,” he admits. “You come from such a limited well of information.”

That all changed when he found The Gray Matter Experience.

He turned to someone he trusted, a mentor named Peter House Rogers. “He’s a fantastic guy who helped me build my professional skills.” That connection led him straight to The Gray Matter Experience and everything changed from there.

Once accepted into Gray Matter’s program, Emmanuel’s perspective and trajectory transformed. “My life changed immensely!” he says. He was immediately pushed to think differently, to take risks and to see failure as part of the process rather than the end of the road. In a space where youth are encouraged to dream boldly and build confidently, Emmanuel developed a foundational entrepreneurial mindset. “They helped me build my entrepreneurial mindset, which ended up helping me win over $10,000 in pitch competitions. They also helped me gain access to mentors and maintain different relationships.” 

The impact didn’t end with pitch competitions. Gray Matter opened doors that Emmanuel thought were closed to him. “The program helped me build the professional skills that I needed to get my job at Aon.” Today, he works as a Data Analyst at Aon, a leading global professional services firm, where he applies the same entrepreneurial toolscreative problem-solving, resilience, and adaptability every day. 

As Emmanuel reflects on the program’s lasting influence, he says, “For sure, the entrepreneurial mindset. Being able to leverage how you think to approach things from different perspectives that's the game changer. Whether you're walking into an interview or looking to start your career, you're going to hear those voices in your head telling you, ‘Oh, my God, I can't do this.’ ‘I don't know this.’ or ‘I'm not sure how to go about this.’ But when you have a growth mindset, you understand that you may fail, and it’s ok to be wrong sometimes or to feel a little nervous. You just keep pushing forward.” 

The entrepreneurial mindset is precisely what The Gray Matter Experience aims to cultivate. We give students real-world exposure to business and entrepreneurship, teaching them how to navigate failure early and helping them build the networks and resources that will sustain them long after high school.

Emmanuel continues to nurture that mindset as he sets his sights on his next entrepreneurial venture. From pitch competitions to his role in data analytics, his journey is a powerful example of what can happen when potential meets opportunity.

This Giving Season, people are giving to the causes they believe in — and here in Chicago, we at The Gray Matter Experience are proving what happens when you invest in young minds ready to lead.

We’re raising $20,000 to prepare Gen Z for what’s next — not just in business, but in life.

Donate today