A Shark Tank contestant. An entrepreneur. A 16-year-old junior in high school.

These all describe Jack Bonneau, but most recently he is the organizer of the TEDxYouth@CherryCreek event that will take place on April 30 at Legacy High School in Broomfield. 

“I really wanted to give you the opportunity to share their ideas just like I had,” he said. 

Bonneau has presented two Ted Talks in the past. One was about how kids can be their own role models and another on the importance of youth entrepreneurship in today’s education. 

He dipped his toes into the business world at age eight when he started Jack’s Stands and Marketplaces sold lemonade, ice tea and other young entrepreneur’s products. The motivation was a LEGO Star Wars Death Star his father told him he had to buy with his own money. 

His latest business is called Teen Hustl, which is a last-mile delivery service delivering packages, restaurant food, groceries and more all on electric scooters and bikes. 

Now, he’s organizing the first youth TEDx event in Colorado with 17 students presenting on a wide variety of subjects, including happiness as a service, pronouns, the future of artificial intelligence and more. 

Shining a light on youth

He thinks the youth has a special voice that isn’t always heard.

“We hear all the different perspectives from adults but rarely do we shine a light on the youth who will be our future and who have so much to say,” he said. 

Michael Jenet, Co-Curator of TEDx Cherry Creek, said they have hosted teenagers in the past, but this is the first event in Colorado strictly hosting youth. 

“A lot of teenagers have been on our stages over the years, but we’ve never done an all youth event,” he said. 

He hopes it’s the first of a potential annual event that would be hosted at different high schools each year. 

The students go through professional training on how to give a Ted Talk. TEDxCherry Creek worked with them for three months. 

Tickets are available at TEDxYouth@CherryCreek - Events - Universe.