For many, entrepreneurship starts as a distant dream—but for Niyah-Li Webb, it began in childhood. A member of Future Founders’ 2025 Chicago Be Your Own Boss Cohort, Niyah-Li transformed her long-held passion for baking into tangible entrepreneurial confidence and invaluable life lessons.
Niyah-Li entered the Future Founders internship knowing she’d face collaboration and teamwork—two aspects she initially found intimidating. “I’m not really a social person,” she admits. But soon, the very teamwork she feared became her favorite part of the experience. Working together to choose a team name and design a product wasn’t just a task—it was the beginning of genuine connections.
“At first, I didn’t really click with my team,” Niyah-Li shares. “But as we spent more time together, I realized how much I cared about them and enjoyed our shared interests in entrepreneurship. It made me more comfortable participating in collaborative tasks.”
The process showed Niyah-Li that entrepreneurship isn’t just about the idea itself—it’s about building relationships, listening, and growing with others. By the end, even though their initial motivation included a monetary prize, Niyah-Li found the deeper value in the connections and confidence she gained.
Long before joining Future Founders, Niyah-Li dreamed of owning a bakery. From childhood, baking wasn’t just a hobby—it was her passion. Her vision included a cozy storefront filled with cakes and desserts, a place where customers could delight in her culinary creations. Participating in Future Founders strengthened that dream, providing practical business insights and a supportive environment for her entrepreneurial aspirations.
“I’ve always wanted to own a bakery,” Niyah-Li explains. “Right now, I even sell cakes at school. Seeing people enjoy and buy my baked goods makes me so happy—it motivates me to pursue this further.”
Her ambition isn’t modest; she dreams of growing her bakery into a well-known establishment like Crumbl. Niyah-Li is actively planning her next steps, whether that means attending a trade school or pursuing a two-year business program. Her participation in Future Founders showed her that dreams could be actionable plans, guiding her toward her goal with renewed enthusiasm and clarity.
Future Founders taught Niyah-Li more than just business basics—it equipped her with life skills crucial for any aspiring entrepreneur. One significant lesson she learned was the importance of setting boundaries between personal and professional life, a skill essential for maintaining balance and ensuring business sustainability.
“I realized it’s important to separate your work from family and friends,” Niyah-Li emphasizes. “If you’re struggling financially in business, mixing personal and professional struggles can lead to deeper challenges. Setting clear boundaries helps manage this.”
This insight shows the depth of the Future Founders program. Beyond teaching practical business skills, the experience prepares young entrepreneurs to navigate real-world challenges effectively and thoughtfully.
When asked what she’d say to a friend considering Future Founders, Niyah-Li’s recommendation is clear: “Do it—if you’re passionate about business or entrepreneurship.” She highlights the importance of knowing your motivations and being open to teamwork and collaborative idea-sharing.
“It’s more than just entrepreneurship,” she reflects. “It’s about working with others, sharing ideas, and understanding you can’t succeed entirely alone.”
The program empowered Niyah-Li, instilling a sense of leadership and responsibility. She felt, quite literally, like her own boss. “It made me feel empowering,” she says, “like I had genuine control and leadership within my team.”
Niyah-Li Webb’s journey exemplifies the mission at the heart of Future Founders: empowering underestimated youth through entrepreneurship and essential 21st-century skills. The program provides practical experience, emotional growth, and critical life skills, preparing participants not just for successful businesses but successful lives.
By nurturing Niyah-Li’s bakery dreams, strengthening her interpersonal skills, and equipping her with strategies for personal-professional balance, Future Founders has turned a young woman’s dream into a clear, achievable goal. Niyah-Li’s experience highlights the profound impact of Future Founders—showing that entrepreneurial success is rooted not just in ideas, but in confidence, connections, and community.
“Future Founders made me feel like my own boss,” Niyah-Li concludes. “It showed me that dreams can become real.”
Through Future Founders, countless more young entrepreneurs like Niyah-Li will continue to bake their dreams into reality.
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