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Six high school students spent a week at IDEA Bank’s first entrepreneurship summer camp to learn the basics of business planning. The event culminated in a business plan competition with the winner receiving a $2,000 scholarship to Troy University.
In partnership with Troy University’s Small Business Development Center and the Wiregrass Resource Conservation and Development Council, the goal of the camp was to get participants into the market, said Juliana Bolivar, director of TROY’s SBDC.
“Entrepreneurship is not limited to certain eras. Often, young people have great ideas and just need the tools to develop their ideas into a strong and viable business,” she says. “That’s where we want to come in and help them develop the skills necessary for success.”
Students learn principles of business planning, financial planning, law, marketing and brand development. The camp also touched on entrepreneurial thinking and self-confidence, thinking, sales channels and professional relationships. Experts from Sorrel Business College, SBDC, Troy Bank & Trust and local small business owners provided practical guidance throughout the week.
On Monday, July 18, the students participated in a “Shark Tank” pitch competition to a diverse panel of expert judges. IDEA Bank Director Lynne George said introducing the competitive landscape encourages them to think more deeply about their business ideas.
“It becomes a little more serious, and they go a little deeper into what they want to communicate because they’re trying to make an impression and win something,” she says. “On the other hand, this camp is meant to support their entrepreneurial goals. By providing a scholarship to the university, it gives a person the opportunity to further their education and take a step closer to pursuing entrepreneurship in their real life. It was amazing and encouraging to see them buy in.”
Emily Stokes, 15, of Highland Home, Ala., won the scholarship for her plan for Blackbird Paper. Blackbird Paper aims to provide eco-friendly, handmade paper products for invitations, such as stationery, stationery, business cards and more.
Her idea was In 2018, she saw workers at an elephant orphanage in Sri Lanka create paper made from fibers found in elephant waste. After hearing about the entrepreneurship camp, she realized her paper work could be a hobby.
“It was really inspiring to see that,” she said. “I used to do paper work as a hobby, but when the entrepreneurship camp came, I realized I could do more. Even if my job isn’t productive, the skills I’m taking from here will help me in life.
In addition to getting her business off the ground one day, Stokes said she developed an interest in cybersecurity. Whether she chooses to explore entrepreneurship or security, she has decided that her college home will be TROY.
“I’ve been thinking about coming to TROY anyway, so it’s amazing to have this scholarship,” she said. “It will help me a lot with the cost of going to college.”
Other business ventures include SuperKids, a nonprofit program for youth, Short n Sweet, a candy food truck, Lavish Lexis Wellness, a line of accessories and natural skin care products, City Bags, a line of handbags designed to conceal self-defense. Items, and Clover Threads, a line of beanies designed to make a cultural impact with positive messaging.
Superkidz creator Raymond McGauley, 17, of Enterprise, Ala., said his main goal for the week was to make professional connections and gain a better understanding of the “why” behind the plan.
“I came here not only for scholarship but also to meet and network with different people. It’s not about the numbers, it’s about finding what I’m trying to do there and help my community,” he said. “I’ve learned how to examine myself and why, why I’m doing this and how to move forward with what this thing is.”
Dean of the College of Business, Dr. Judson Edwards, served on the judging panel and recognized the students’ work throughout the week and their determination to succeed in preparing their plans.
“The students who participated in the entrepreneurship camp were amazing, and the competition was tough among them with the ‘Tank’ experience,” he said. “This camp further demonstrates the commitment of young people in our area to succeed in life and business, and we are proud that Sorrel College of Business can support their development.”
Two galleries from camp are available online at the links below, and you can view the race day gallery here.
Gallery 1
Gallery 2
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