Lyla Wolf believes that two essential things people need in life are access to healthcare and a fun beverage—so why not combine them? Living on the Upper West Side, she has observed that every Sunday, Columbus Avenue closes down for a community event featuring flea market vendors, ping pong, clothing swaps, and other neighborhood activities. Families come outside to enjoy the day, and as the weather warms, many carry cold drinks from local cafés. Whether it’s iced coffee, matcha, tea, lemonade, or a combination, the lines outside these cafés are always long.
While Lyla’s neighborhood boasts excellent resources for physical and mental health, she recognizes that many other New Yorkers lack similar support. Numerous clinics across the city have suffered significant budget cuts, leaving them underfunded and understaffed—often making these clinics the only healthcare resources available for many residents.
To address this, Lyla plans to open “The Ripple Stand” once a month on Sundays with open streets. The stand will offer playful, themed drinks and bites tied to the cause it supports. Though the initiative may seem surface-level, Lyla understands her neighbors’ genuine care for these issues and hopes the stand will provide an easy way for them to engage and support important causes. Examples of organizations that would benefit include Planned Parenthood, the ECHO Free Clinic in the Bronx, and The Venture House.
The streets opened for the first time all year last week after a very long and unusually cold winter in New York City. Lyla plans to spend a sizable portion of her summer in NYC, giving her ample time to craft and distribute her beverage and baked goods creations. Fortunately, she has already tested some potential drinks and baked items for her stand. For instance, if she were fundraising specifically for women’s health, lemonade made with homemade strawberry syrup paired with her signature pink macarons would be an ideal combination. Having always loved cooking, baking, and creating, Lyla is excited to implement this project and bring it to her community.
Each Sunday, Lyla’s goal is to sell thirty drinks at five dollars each, aiming for a profit of $150. While this number may seem modest, she plans to carefully scale her offerings based on customer preferences and make informed business decisions after evaluating each week’s performance. In addition to selling drinks, Lyla will engage customers by discussing the cause her stand supports and provide an extra “tip” jar as well as a QR code for direct donations. She will personally cover the cost of materials to maximize the impact of the funds raised.
Lyla plans to set up her stand in the coming weeks as June approaches and the weather warms. There is an extremely popular flea market every Sunday just a few blocks from her home, so she intends to position her stand nearby to maximize foot traffic. Drawing on lessons learned at Alzar, Lyla understands that true leaders demonstrate their character by putting themselves out there and taking pride in their work. She will be proud to support and raise awareness for important causes and hopes to educate people throughout the process.