Holiday Cheer with Teen Authors Fenley & Jason - In-person

Meet teen authors Fenley Scurlock and Jason Liaw, and learn about their new book, "Down to Business."

Join Olney Library for a special program with teen authors Fenley Scurlock (former Olney Library volunteer) and Jason Liaw, who published their first book, Down to Business, this year!

Learn about the idea behind the book, the writing and interviewing process, and negotiating a book deal when they were just 14 years old! As many are aware, only a very small fraction of writers are actually published; these teen authors were able to sign with prestigious publisher Penguin Random House. Earlier this year, they kicked off their book tour at the National Press Club in Washington, DC. Learn how they accomplished all of it! Q&A to follow their presentation. Ashlyn Campbell, MoCo360's education reporter, will moderate the event. Copies of the book will be available for purchase and signing. Thanks to the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County, for their support.

FOR ALL AGES. No registration is required but space is limited. In celebration of the winter holidays, seasonal snacks & drinks will be offered, along with a limited supply of holiday crafts.

Both Fenley and Jason are seasoned entrepreneurs who started their own businesses at a young age. They realized that what they were learning ‘on the job’-- about entrepreneurship, sales, marketing and other business fundamentals-- was not taught in most schools, so they set out to correct that. During the pandemic lockdown, they pitched and interviewed entrepreneurs, CEOs, and business leaders about their paths to success and best advice for Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

According to Penguin Random House, "They ask questions every burgeoning exec wants to know: How can I get started? Is college worth it? What skills do I need? How did YOU make it big? In a book that’s unlike any book out there–for kid or adult entrepreneurs–Fenley and Jason give readers access to leading innovators, inventors, and executives as they tell their stories and provide tips to a new generation of bosses."

FENLEY SCURLOCK launched a business when he was seven, making artisanal soaps and whimsical pens that he sells at farmers markets, kids’ business fairs, and in his online store. He has won multiple business, sales, and marketing awards, and has been interviewed by national and local media outlets. He was one of 18 students from around the country selected as a 2024 Davidson Ambassador for social entrepreneurship, and is the recipient of the Congressional Award Bronze Medal, the U.S. Congress’ highest honor for youth.  He has studied several coding languages, as well as Mandarin and Latin, and is currently writing the first book in a fantasy trilogy.

JASON LIAW launched his first business at age eleven, building and maintaining websites for a local chamber of commerce. He is the president of his school’s DECA club ("prepar[ing] emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management") and won first place for a financial literacy project in a 2022 DECA state competition. Jason is one of two countywide administrators on the Special Elections Committee (SEC), which moderates and promotes the annual Student Member of the Board (SMOB) and Montgomery County Regional Student Government Association (MCR) elections, ensuring an equitable process for more than 80,000 eligible secondary school voters.
 

Learn more about Down to Business by visiting the authors' website and Instagram.

This program is generously funded by the Friends of the Library, Montgomery County.

Questions about this program? Contact the Olney branch at 240-773-9545.

Take a look at MCPL's online resources. Don't have a card right now?  No worries!  Find out how to Get a Library Card.

Accommodation Requests

People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing should request English-language captioning or sign-language interpretation at least five days before the library-sponsored program they plan to attend. Contact the Assistant Facilities and Accessibility Program Manager at 240-777-0002 with all other accommodation requests.

cm 1.1 01/03/2023

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