By Steven Gordon, Lemonade Day National President

“I want to make sure the concept of a lemonade stand doesn't die with this generation. Kids have fewer and fewer opportunities for experiential learning now that technology has become more prevalent, but setting up a lemonade stand is an important experience for kids. Kids can learn life lessons and skills from the process of owning and operating a lemonade stand, which can translate into a drive for entrepreneurship and belief in themselves to succeed.”

Meghan Kelleher, Lemonade Day Development Manager since November 2017, who set up her first lemonade stand outside her home in Chicago at the age of eight.

I can report with confidence that Lemonade Day is expanding in the United States, Canada and other countries in 2018.  Kids who register to participate in Lemonade Day learn valuable lessons in many aspects of business: planning, product development, operations, marketing, promotion, sales, customer services, financial management, and charitable giving – to name a few. Adult mentors guide the kids toward completing their Lemonade Day lessons, securing ingredients for their lemonade recipes, and chaperoning them when they are serving customers from their very own lemonade stand.

To assist all of us at Lemonade Day National Headquarters in inspiring millions more kids to engage in the Lemonade Day experience for many years to come, we have hired Meghan Kelleher to serve as our Development Manager.   Prior to joining Lemonade Day and relocating from Chicago to Houston a few months ago, Meghan worked as the Special Events Manager for the National Kidney Foundation of Illinois. Meghan earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with a minor in English from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

In her role as Development Manager, Meghan is working with me and our board members to secure funds and in-kind contributions from individuals, foundations, corporate sponsors, and community partners that will be instrumental for our near-term and long-term growth. Funds contributed to Lemonade Day are used to produce workbooks and technology tools for kids and their adult mentors. The cost to produce and deliver these workbooks (available in print and online) is $10 per child. Your financial contribution in any amount is most appreciated. 

Please join me in welcoming Meghan. She is a valuable asset to me and the entire Lemonade Day program. She is perfectly suited for her current role with Lemonade Day. She has a natural entrepreneurial spirit, a solid work ethic, a pleasant personality, and a true passion for supporting the needs of non-profit organizations.

I invite you to get to know Meghan and to learn more about why she feels that Lemonade Day is the perfect match for her. She is available by phone, email, in person and via Web conference.  Her phone number is 281-972-4195 and her email is Meghan@lemonadeday.org.

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Meghan’s Back Story in Her Own Words

As a child, I was told "no" often when I wanted a new toy, game, etc., and I thank my parents for that. They wanted to make sure I didn't grow up a spoiled child, so when I asked for something, I usually heard "put it on your Christmas/birthday list" or a simple "no." Because of this, I thought of ways to earn the money if I wanted something immediately. I mainly asked my parents for chores I could do around the house for money, and I set up a lemonade stand (though I learned not to set up shop in front of my house in the future—because it was on a quiet street, my only customers were my parents and my friend's parents).

My parents had to work for what they wanted, even as kids (my mom is one of five and my dad is one of six, so being spoiled wasn't an option), and I feel that my friends and I had to do the same. I've also had plenty of acquaintances that have received everything they've ever wanted, and I've felt that it had a negative impact on their adult lives. When you work for what you want, you have a sense of pride and self-worth, and you're able to relate to others more easily.

Why is working in the national development manager role for Lemonade Day the perfect match for me?

I've always known that pursuing a career in the non-profit sector was my path. I had heard about Lemonade Day when my college professor briefly explained the program in my non-profit organization management course. When I saw the job posting for the Lemonade Day fundraising position in the fall, I jumped on the opportunity. I was excited to see how passionate everyone in the national office was about the cause when I interviewed.

I'm here to help Lemonade Day grow and expand so that we can reach more kids. I look forward to helping us reach our goals in terms of expansion cities, increased budget, and strategic relationships so that more and more kids can participate in the Lemonade Day program.

Please visit lemonadeday.org for more information or to contribute a gift in any amount.