By David Slone
Times-Union
WINONA LAKE — High schoolers in the Kosciusko Student Venture Challenge (KSVC) aren’t waiting for the future to become entrepreneurs.
Through the program, they’ve started on the road to becoming the next Dr. Dane Miller, founder of Biomet, or Jake Furbee, founder of Core Mechanical, to learn what it takes to be entrepreneurs and start their own businesses.
Thursday night at the Manahan Orthopaedic Capital Center was the KSVC Showcase, the culmination of the program where the students from the six area high schools displayed and discussed their businesses to family, friends and the public. Afterward, certificates and monetary awards were presented to the students to assist them in continuing on with their ventures.
Kosciusko Community Coordinator Amy Roe explained KSVC started through the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program (HELP). “That was the first grant process that I was in charge of, and actually came out of the Strengthening Local Economies with the premise that we needed to strengthen entrepreneurship in the county, starting at the high school level. So what would it look like to normalize that so that we could have the next Dane Miller,” she said.
After doing their research, they found the Believe In A Dream organization.
“Steve Franks was the original co-founder (of KSVC) with myself, and the idea was birthed over cheese bread over at what used to be Light Rail in Winona Lake. So his organization they had, it was a different program, which he’s not there anymore, but we basically worked with him to come up with a Kosciusko program that would have basically training of learning how to start a business and then being able to show off that business, if you will.
So, the basics of business, with the hope that they would like the beginnings of a business that they could, maybe when they graduate from high school, work and make more intentional,” Roe said.
In the first year, KSVC started with 25 students from two schools, Warsaw and Tippecanoe Valley. In year two, it grew to 43 students from five schools: Warsaw, Tippecanoe Valley, Whitko, Wawasee and Lakeland Christian Academy. This year, Triton joined and the program started with 65 students.
“We’ve been really blessed because the partnership continues to expand with Believe In A Dream, even though Steve stepped away. Megan (McClellan) became the (executive) director and she’s been so great to help us with the fiscal sponsorship side of things. And that’s been super helpful because, since it started in the county government and the county government basically doesn’t do the programs, I needed to have that fiscal sponsor. So they are our stability, our financial (partners) … because without Megan, it would not be possible,” Roe said.
She also gave thanks to all the teachers/coaches who help the students. At each school, the teacher/coach decides which students participate in KSVC. The students then start the program by showing up on the first day and going through an eight-week bootcamp.
“Every month that they come, we have different mentors that come from the community that are experts in the area for the specific classes, having that bootcamp for that day,” Roe said. “Those adult mentors help to lead the facilitation.”
This year, the co-facilitators were Aaron Engbrecht from Tippecanoe Valley and Scott Greene of Warsaw.
“They facilitate this beautiful class, this bootcamp and the participation with each of the students. They do breakout sessions, they get to sit with these adults, they get to talk about their ideas. The adults help them to process through the ideas, decide what works and what doesn’t work. And these are real-life entrepreneurs and/or business leaders or community leaders who come in and give up their time and volunteer. It’s so great,” Roe stated.
After five weeks of learning and a field trip in week six, week seven of the bootcamp is where students present their business to a two-person panel of judges.
“The concept is as if you were pitching your business to a banker. Because tonight they will receive the financial investment for what level the bankers (judges) felt that they were qualified to receive at the time that they pitched,” Roe explained.
Bronze award recipients received $100, Silver award recipients received $300, and Gold earned $500. Co-owners split their earnings. A total of $14,300 was awarded Thursday night. Money for the program is donated, and there are in-kind sponsorships as well. The award money where the students get for their financial investment comes from Core Mechanical, the main award sponsor, Roe said.
Zack Kryder won Gold with his business, KH PowerWashing. “Me and my cousin started this business a couple of years ago, and it’s really been a big success for us since. We do powerwashing mostly houses, but we have done some pole barns, steel buildings, stuff like that,” he said.
He said they cover all of Kosciusko County, as well as some areas in Elkhart County like Nappanee.
Brody Duncan and Gage Hileman started Midwest Car Club.
“It’s a car community. We host car events, pretty much all around the Midwest right now, and kind of developing into a brand, making sure there’s merchandise and stuff like that,” Hileman explained.
He said they had 10 car events last year with over 500 people attending. To make money, Duncan said they’ve started selling their own Midwest Car Club merchandise like T-shirts.
Hileman said they plan to have two charity events this year to raise money for cancer.
Zyshawn Ira Rael Terry, 16, was offering food samples from his business, Ira’s Kitchen. “My main thing is that I’m offering flavors from all around the world. I’ve worked in many kitchens here in Warsaw,” he said. “It’s just bringing all those flavors to a one-stop shop kind of thing and just diversifying the food culture of Warsaw.”
He said he got his first job as a cook when he was 12. His favorite thing to cook is port belly.
Logan Miller had his business, Terra’s Embrace, and he won one of the two Best In Show awards, which includes a $500 prize. The other Best In Show award went to Cruz Nunez and his CB Artworks.
Miller, 18, said, “I personally make teas that are flavor-forward, but also create and have strong medicinal effects as well. So it really helps a lot with, depending on the one, one is an appetite suppressant, one is great for respiratory, the other settles the stomach. Another is just general immune-boosting.”
He stated he’s studied holistic medicine for 10 years. Each tea goes through one to six months of testing.
Lalia Streby and Emily Rush co-own Divine Designs and won Silver. “We make jewelry and apparel for Christians, or really for anyone who wants to express their faith outwardly and it’s a good conversation starter. It’s a great way to bring confidence through your faith,” Streby said.
Maryssa Lozano and her business, Puppers Pantry, offers all-natural dog treats. She makes them herself.
“I have a dog and I love to bake, so I thought it would be a great idea to make some dog treats. Pretty basic,” she said, noting she uses a variety of fruits and vegetables and tries to limit her ingredients. She doesn’t use any meat products at all.
Engbrecht teaches business classes at Tippecanoe Valley and runs their Work-Based Learning Program. Valley also has an Entrepreneurship Pathway and most of Valley’s students in the KSVC are in their second year of that pathway.
On the variety of student businesses, he said there was “everything from flower seeds that you can plant, the socks that fit that are very specific to track athletes, clothing, food, dog treats and it’s just really cool. I really encourage kids to find something that they’re going to enjoy because we work on it throughout the year. Find a product that you’re excited about. If you don’t get excited about working on this, then you’re probably doing the wrong thing.”
He said what impressed him about the students is, “I think about myself as a high school student and I don’t think I could have done this. I think I would have felt overwhelmed by it.”
