The 4Front Social Innovation Fellowship is designed to empower teens to tackle real-world challenges with creativity, purpose, and leadership. At the heart of the program are mentors who guide, inspire, and challenge participants to think like entrepreneurs and changemakers. In this blog, we highlight three incredible mentors — Mike Silberman, Andy Buerger, and Jayne Havens — whose expertise, experience, and dedication are helping Baltimore’s youth turn ideas into action and build the skills to make a meaningful impact in their communities.
Mike Silberman
Mike Silberman is a healthcare executive and entrepreneur with nearly 20 years of experience building and leading nationally accredited behavioral health and substance use treatment organizations. As Co-Founder and COO, he has helped grow programs across multiple states, overseeing strategy, operations, licensing, and team development, with a focus on making quality care more accessible. Passionate about supporting teens, Mike volunteers with a nonprofit that provides substance use education and resources for schools and young people, and he enjoys mentoring youth who are curious about entrepreneurship, social impact, and problem-solving.
Q: What inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship, and how has it shaped your personal and professional life?
A: I was drawn to entrepreneurship not just to build businesses, but to solve real problems. Early in my career, I saw how difficult it was for individuals struggling with substance use disorders to access quality care. I believed that if I could help create organizations rooted in integrity, accountability, and compassion, we could truly change lives. Entrepreneurship gave me the opportunity to turn that belief into action — building treatment centers, developing strong teams, and expanding access to care in communities that needed it most. Entrepreneurship has shaped me by teaching resilience, responsibility, and leadership. When you build something from the ground up, you learn quickly that success depends on discipline, strong values, and the people you surround yourself with.
Q: How do you think learning the steps of business creation benefits teens?
A: Learning the steps of business creation gives teens far more than the ability to start a company — it teaches them how to think. When you understand how to identify a problem, develop a solution, build a plan, manage resources, and execute with discipline, you develop skills that apply to every area of life. Entrepreneurship teaches initiative, accountability, financial literacy, communication, and resilience. Even if a student never starts a business, those skills create confidence and independence.
More importantly, learning business creation empowers teens to see themselves as builders rather than bystanders. It shifts their mindset from “What opportunities are available to me?” to “What opportunities can I create?” That mindset fosters leadership, responsibility, and the belief that they can make a meaningful impact on their communities. Whether in business, medicine, law, nonprofit work, or any other path, understanding how to build something from the ground up prepares them to lead with purpose and vision.
Andy Buerger
Andy Buerger is an entrepreneur, mentor, and motivational speaker who inspires teens and young people to turn challenges into opportunities. He founded the nonprofit Jodi’s Climb for Hope in honor of his late sister, raising over $1 million for breast cancer and multiple sclerosis research while engaging hundreds of climbers on global expeditions. Andy also launched B’More Organic, the first no-added-sugar organic protein drink in the U.S., and now serves as Chief Strategy Officer of Taharka Brothers Ice Cream, helping the company grow its community impact. Through mentoring, lectures at the University of Baltimore, and his bestselling book Carrying a Flag From Pain to Passion, Andy shares lessons in resilience, grit, and purpose-driven leadership, especially with teens and young people exploring entrepreneurship and social impact.
Q: What inspired you to pursue entrepreneurship, and how has it shaped your personal and professional life?
A: When I was six, my sister and I set up a lemonade stand using concentrate from my parents’ freezer. We spent all day selling lemonade, and by the afternoon, the local newspaper came by to take our picture. To my surprise, they reported that we were donating the proceeds to the local Community Chest—something my father had told them after calling the paper. In hindsight, this moment was profoundly formative.
I realized two things: first, I had been given resources to succeed (privilege), and second, business could be used to solve problems and help others. That lesson has stuck with me.
Today, I see entrepreneurship as a force for good when practiced thoughtfully. While capitalism has its flaws, it’s also one of the most powerful tools for positive change—it creates good-paying jobs, provides healthcare, builds wealth beyond just the owner, and delivers the goods and services people need. That’s why I embrace Conscious Capitalism, striving to practice ethical entrepreneurship and teaching others to do the same.
Q: How do you think learning the steps of business creation benefits teens?
A: A 21st-century education isn’t about memorizing facts like the year Columbus sailed the ocean blue—it’s about learning how to learn and solve problems. That’s exactly what entrepreneurs do: they identify challenges and develop creative solutions. For instance, I wanted to raise money for breast cancer research, so I created an organization where people raised funds in exchange for climbing big mountains with me. Later, I saw Americans struggling with unhealthy eating habits and a lack of quick, nutritious snacks, so I created the country’s first organic protein smoothie with no added sugar. That helped people eat better, and we donated a portion of proceeds to disease research.
In short, entrepreneurship taught me how to solve meaningful problems—an invaluable skill teens can use to shape their future and make an impact in the world.
Jayne Havens
Jayne Havens is a certified sleep consultant and founder of Snooze Fest by Jayne Havens, where she helps families and teens establish healthy sleep habits. Her journey began as a new parent, learning strategies to help her own children sleep through the night, which soon led friends to seek her guidance. Known for her client-led, flexible approach, Jayne supports families and teens in finding solutions that truly work for them. She also founded the Center for Pediatric Sleep Management, where she trains and mentors others to bring this life-changing guidance to more families and young people.
Q: Why do you think it’s important for young people to learn about entrepreneurship at an early age?
A: I believe it’s incredibly important for young people to learn about entrepreneurship at an early age because it equips them with skills and a mindset that will benefit them throughout their lives. It builds confidence and independence, teaching them to take initiative, solve problems, and take ownership of their successes and failures. Entrepreneurship fosters creativity and innovation, encouraging young people to think outside the box and develop unique solutions. Even if they don’t pursue a business, the entrepreneurial mindset can be applied to any career or life challenge. Most importantly, it empowers young people to explore their passions and create opportunities for themselves, setting them up for a future of possibility!
Q: Why were you interested in supporting Baltimore’s Jewish teens as they learn about social entrepreneurship?
A: I started my entrepreneurial journey in my 30s. If I had realized my own capabilities as an entrepreneur in my teens, it would have been such an incredible head start. I want these kids to have an opportunity to jumpstart their entrepreneurial journey. It’s so exciting to watch these teens look to identify a problem and then work creatively to solve it. When asked to participate, I couldn’t say no!
Excited to turn your ideas into impact? The 4Front Social Innovation Fellowship gives teens the chance to learn from mentors like Mike Silberman, Andy Buerger, and Jayne Havens, building skills to lead, innovate, and make a difference. Applications for the next cohort are opening soon. Learn more at 4frontbaltimore.org
