Two years ago, the Lightning Letter wrote an article about an entrepreneurial freshman that had given a TEDx talk on youth role models. Now that freshman is back at it again, this time with seventeen kids, a co-emcee, an orchestra, and the school’s auditorium in tow.
Organized by Legacy’s own Jack Bonneau, our school will be hosting Colorado’s very first TEDxYouth event on Saturday, April 30th. Bonneau, who is now a junior, will be emceeing the event alongside sophomore Teaghan Ferguson, who hails from Heritage High School.
Despite all of the students’ hard work, which will culminate in four hours of new ideas this weekend, Jack still had time to sit down and answer some questions about the event. A transcript of the interview, along with other links of interest, can be found at the bottom of this article.
Bonneau giving a TEDx Talk in March 2022
“TEDx has really great ways to share and spread a message, and I think that there are a lot of messages that resonate with me that I feel would resonate with a lot of others.”
– Jack Bonneau
Despite not speaking this time, Bonneau isn’t unfamiliar with TED Talks in any sense of the word. “I’ve given two TEDx talks in the past,” he says. “The first one was about how kids can be their own best role models. The second one, which I gave about less than two months ago, was about youth entrepreneurship in schools, and how it’s integral to the experiences that kids will face outside of school.”
With the talks hitting seven and ten minutes respectively, it’s no surprise that Bonneau is passionate about his mission, which is “…to bring opportunities to youth, whether that be different experiences, teaching them about entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and those social skills.”
Bonneau giving a TEDx Talk in March 2022
“Some people might be hesitant to work with you…[but] with an event like this, which is so youth-oriented, and working within schools, and people who are supportive of giving youth these opportunities…[roadblocks aren’t] really something you encounter commonly.”
– Jack Bonneau
Despite his age, his accomplishments reach far past his speeches. He’s started two businesses as well – Jack’s Stands and Marketplaces, and Teen Hustl.
“I sold lemonade, iced tea, and other young entrepreneurs’ products at farmer’s markets and malls, and taught other kids how to operate those stands and marketplaces,” he says about Jack’s Stands. “I started it when I was eight….The second business was Teen Hustl, and I’m currently operating that. It’s basically a hyper-local delivery service, delivering and returning ecommerce packages, delivering food from restaurants, items from grocery stores, 100% delivered by teenagers on electric scooters and personal bikes within a hyper-local area.” Teen Hustle was started when he was thirteen.
In less than a week, however, Bonneau will be taking a step back from the well-deserved spotlight. Though planned with curators Michael Jenet and Dafna Michaelson-Jenet, he won’t be one of the seventeen students – along with Legacy’s own orchestra – that will take to the stage, splitting the afternoon amongst them as they dive into a broad range of topics.
Aiden Gover (Legacy, 10th) Anna Breken (Rocky Mountain Lutheran, 9th) Ava Conley (Legacy, 9th) Cadence Fong (Legacy, 11th) Ella Winthers (Wheat Ridge, 10th) Emeline Smith (Green Valley Ranch, 12th) Fahad Tamton (Legacy, 12th) Kalina Kulig (George Washington, 12th) Madeline Moon (Legacy, 12th) Maya Dawson (Conifer, 11th) Meera Bipin (Legacy, 9th) Riya Bhat (Mountain Vista, 12th) Ruby George (Lakewood, 10th) Samuel Law (Legacy, 11th) Samantha Manuszak (William J. Palmer, 11th) Veronica Keff (Smoky Hill, 12th)
Please be sure to buy tickets for this exciting afternoon! A link is provided below. Legacy students are able to obtain a discount using the code LEGACY100, with student tickets being priced at $10.50, general admission at $21.00, and VIP seating at $31.50. All of these prices include service charges. In addition, tickets will be sold at the door for the same price. This unique, incredible event, located in Legacy’s auditorium, will only be happening for one night, so please come out and support all of the kids who have put so much effort into their speeches and performances! Colorado has never seen a youth TEDx event before, making this a one-of-a-kind experience. We hope to see you there!
Your donation will support the student journalists of Legacy High School. Your contribution will allow us to purchase equipment and cover our annual website hosting costs.
