Small Town Startup works with local Chamber to launch “Junior CEO Camp – High School Edition”
A total of 13 students from high schools across Robertson County were selected for the groundbreaking program.
After years of planning, The Connection reports that the Robertson County Chamber of Commerce, in collaboration with Small Town Startup, has officially launched the new “Youth Leadership Entrepreneur Experience” (YLEE) program, allowing high school students the opportunity to create and maintain their own small business.
A total of 13 students from high schools across Robertson County were selected for the groundbreaking program. Over the course of nine months, the young leaders will meet with Small Town Startup staff once a month to develop, launch, and grow their own business ventures.
“The Chamber and Small Town Startup are thrilled to bring this vision to life, working together to show students the limitless potential of entrepreneurship and small business ownership in our local communities,” the article quotes Chamber President Jordan Osborne as saying, “The more we can encourage our youth to pursue entrepreneurship, the more likely they are to open businesses, fill vacant storefronts, and continuously revitalize the local economy.”
We spotlighted Lisa DiVirgilio Arnold, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Small Town Startup, in this April 2023 teknovation.biz article. While much of her focus has been on helping local businesses in small towns grow, she was recruiting for the fourth cohort of the “Junior CEO: Summer Camp.” It is a weeklong experience for 16 third to eighth-graders who build a business around a challenge and then pitch it in a finale.
According to Osborne, this year marks a new milestone with the introduction of Small Town Startup’s first-ever “Junior CEO Camp – High School Edition,” which she says promises to be a game changer for aspiring young entrepreneurs in the county.
While the opportunity was provided to all high school juniors and seniors, students had to have a teacher and principal sign off on the application. Due to the competitive application process, only a select number of students were picked to join the program.
This year’s inaugural group of students represented four Robertson County schools, including Innovation Academy, Springfield High School, Greenbrier High School, and White House Heritage High School.
“Our goal is to have a cohort of students that represent all of our high schools across the county,” Osborne said. “In the future we hope to have applicants from each school, as well as our homeschool community and private school partners.”
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