Who We Are

PLANTING THE SEEDS THAT CHANGE LIVES

OUR MISSION AND VISION

Our mission is to help prepare youth for life through fun, proactive and experiential programs infused with life skills, character education, and entrepreneurship. The foremost objective is to help today’s youth become the business leaders, social advocates, community volunteers and forward-thinking citizens of tomorrow.  We want to build self-esteem and new mindsets that can propel youth to success they likely would not have pursued otherwise.

Children, with a focus on communities of greatest need, are introduced to entrepreneurship through the real world experience of starting their own business – a lemonade stand.  By running their stand, they learn the business and life skills needed to set a goal, make a plan and work the plan to achieve their dreams.

Our Story

Lemonade Day was founded on an important American principal that entrepreneurs take risks, believing they can realize their dream if they work hard, take responsibility and act as good stewards of their resources. Today’s youth – at the national and international level – share that optimism but lack the life skills, mentorship and real-world experience necessary to be successful. Founder Michael Holthouse had a vision to empower today’s youth to become tomorrow’s entrepreneurs through helping them start, own and operate their very own business…a lemonade stand.  

Lemonade Day is a strategic lesson-based program that walks youth from a dream to a business plan while teaching them the same principles required to start any company. Inspiring kids to work hard and make a profit, they are also taught to spend some, save some and share some by giving back to their community. Since its launch in 2007 in Houston, Texas, Lemonade Day has grown from serving 2,700 kids in one city to 1 million children in 80+ licensed markets in the United States, Canada, Bermuda, six U.S. military bases, and growing. Lemonade Day sparks the spirit of entrepreneurship and empowers youth to set goals, work hard, and achieve their dreams.

Lemonade Day Message on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Since our inception, Lemonade Day has been committed to delivering youth entrepreneurship programming that is accessible to all children regardless of age, color, race, handicap, economic status, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, or gender identification. Our experience-based program welcomes young people from all socio-economic backgrounds and instills in them an entrepreneurial mindset that we know makes a profound difference in so many kid’s lives. Those who participate in Lemonade Day become successful adults with meaningful careers who contribute to the communities and economies where they live and work. 
We acknowledge while we have had many beneficial and inclusive initiatives in place, we can always do more, be better, and redouble our commitment in the spirit of social progress. We are hopeful that today’s youth entrepreneurs become tomorrow’s leaders with limitless futures.

 

Our Story 1 Our Story 2

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OUR AWARDS

Guidestar top rated    Donor Houston Charity Navigator  Excellence in giving

Meet our founder, Michael Holthouse

Meet our founder, Michael Holthouse

Lemonade Day founder Michael Holthouse is best known in the business world as the founder and President of Paranet, Inc., a computer network services company. As an Inc. Magazine Entrepreneur of the Year and a two-time “'Inc. 500' list of fastest growing companies" winner, Michael grew Paranet in 6 years to 27 offices, 1600 employees and revenues in excess of $100 million and ultimately sold the company to Sprint in 1997. Since then, he has focused on philanthropy, investments and a variety of business interests. Community involvement is an enormous part of Michael’s life, and he has served on a variety of children’s and civic boards. 

His family foundation, Holthouse Foundation for Kids, focuses proactively on at-risk youth. His philanthropic venture is called Prepared 4 Life (P4L) which prepares middle school youth for life through fun, proactive and experiential after-school programs infused with life skills, character education and entrepreneurship. The most treasured part of Michael’s life is spending time with his wife, Lisa, and their four children.

 

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Our National Board

Joe Daly
Board Chairman
Managing Partner,
Gallup

Renea Burns
Partner,
Deloitte & Touche, LLP

Heath Butler
Venture Partner,
Mercury Fund

Zach Ellis
Founder/Managing Partner,
South Loop Ventures

Charlie Hamilton
Founding Partner,
Caprock Partners

Hank Holmes
Chief Banking Officer
Cadence Bank

Michael Holthouse
Founder,
Holthouse Interests

Rachel Davison Humphries
Senior Director,
Civic Learning Initiatives
Bill of Rights Institute

Jessie Jones
Founder,
Red Lantern Consulting

Keith Kreuer
Principal,
RedHouse Associates

Anaye Milligan
Co-Founder
Tessilys

Amanda Kathryn Pascale
Founder & Principal,
Lionhearted Enterprises

 

Director Emeritus

Lisa Holthouse
Founder,
Houston CityBook

 

Advisory Board

Andy Main
Former Global CEO,
Ogilvy

Paul B. Murphy, Jr.
Founder & Former CEO,
Cadence Bank

 

Our National Staff

Nicole Cassier-Mason
CEO

Nicole

Claire Schultz
Director of Special Projects
Program Team Lead

Sheridan Gabrisch
Development Director
Strategic Partnerships Lead

ClaireSheridan

Samantha Ricciardi
Director of Nationals Operations
Regional Director -
Central U.S.& International

Tweenzette Ross
Regional Director - 
Eastern U.S.

SamTweenzette

COMING SOON
Regional Director - 
Western U.S.

Western

Andrew Wayland
Grants Manager

Zandra Drysdale
Development Associate

Andrew WaylandZandra Drysdale

"Lemonade Day is inspiring kids to start a business and build something that will change the world regardless of how large or small their ambition is. The important life skills gained through the Lemonade Day program make an impact on kids every day of the year."

—Joe Daly, Gallup senior partner and Lemonade Day National Board Chairman

@LemonadeDayNational