Judging by the ideas presented to the area professionals lining the hallways, there was no shortage of creativity and passion coming from the young businessmen and women scuttling about Cassopolis’ Edward Lowe Foundation Tuesday morning.

Armed with multiple-page proposals and well-rehearsed elevator pitches, the over two-dozen young entrepreneurs spent the morning sharing their ideas for their professional futures, hoping to get some feedback from veteran professionals on how they can turn their ideas into reality.

It also gave them a good excuse to get our of class for a few hours.

The Lewis Cass ISD and the Edward Lowe Foundation once again partnered to present their annual Young Entrepreneurs Day that morning. Students from Dowagiac Union High School, Ross Beatty High School, and Edwardsburg and Marcellus high schools pitched their business ideas and participated in team building exercises inside the foundation’s Tower of Tomorrow building.

In addition to the local business owners and professionals who judged each team’s business proposals, staff members with the Edward Lowe Foundation were also on hand to give instruction to students. Normally hosting workshops for high ranking professionals, getting the chance to interact with the next generation of business owners was a nice change of pace for the staff.

“I’m really impressed,” said George Nelson, the foundation’s retreat production coordinator, who helped with Young Entrepreneurs Day for the first time that morning. “[The kids] have come with some ideas that even CEOs haven’t come up with.”

Nelson helped lead the students through an activity called “three levels,” where they were separated into three groups, each with handicaps such as blindfolds that prevented them from effectively communicating with each other. The exercise was meant to reinforce lessons about the importance of asking questions and not making assumptions, Nelson said.

The morning was a capstone of the ISD’s business management courses, which are taught in each of the participating schools. The students have been working for months on each of their business propositions, spending hours on researching, writing and even designing graphics for their projects.

“I used to think anyone could easily start their own business, but there’s a lot of work that goes into it,” said Dowagiac Union High sophomore Hector Vazquez.

Vazquez and his partner, Donovan Schoff, came up with an idea to start a movie theater in Dowagiac, called D-Wack’s Palace. The two have been working on the project since January, researching information about the costs involved in potentially starting such an establishment.

“I felt like this is a big eye-opener if I ever want to start my own business,” Vazquez said.

Students participating this year were:

Dowagiac Union High School

Steven Kruger and Camille Ralston: Cookies & Cappuccinos

Leah Hodder and Mollie Hyatt: Euphoric Day Spa

Jeffrey Holloman and Joel Vernon: The Juicery

Donovan Schoff and Hector Vazquez: D-Wack’s Palace

Jose Lopez and Rollie Lucio: Moo Town Creamery

Cassidy Evans and Kollin Schultz: Financial Competition

 

Ross Beatty High School

Jami Suseland: Broken Trail Vet Services

Malik Ballard and John Hampton: M&J Clothing, Inc.

Alexis Kirk: Kirk’s Hair Creation

Noah Woods: Wonder Woods

 

Edwardsburg High School

Joelle Eaves and Noelle Kraus: Portable Professor

Katelyn Boyer and Elizabeth Neuerburg: VIXO Royale

Ryan Rogers and Bryce Williams: R&B Ice Cream

Ben Chambers, Saige Gaunder, Sierra Gaunder: Financial Competition

 

Marcellus High School

Caroline Himes, Zachary Lamb, Brenden Ludlow, Victoria Wildes: Cat Patch

Kayla Baker, Jil Huss, Lea Krause, Madison Pyper: Financial Competition