Contact:
Kelly Misch
Communications Director
Chardon Local Schools
440.286.0409
(l to r) Ethan Holmes, CEO and Founder of Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce and Evan Delahanty, CEO and Founder of Peaceful Fruits LLC speak to Chardon Middle School sixth-grade students last month about their journeys in entrepreneurship
Real-Life Entrepreneurs Inspire 6th-Grade Students
Chardon Schools Believes High-Quality Learning Experiences are Essential for All Students
January 25, 2024 — Chardon Middle School sixth-grade students acquired important knowledge and insights during an entrepreneur guest speaker series at their school last month. The series introduced Hilltoppers to the world of entrepreneurship and the step-by-step journey that can cultivate an exceptional idea into a successful business venture.
OVERVIEW
Speakers gave of their time to provide engaging presentations and conversations (as well as product samples!), detailing the key ingredients for conceptualizing, refining and launching a business idea, including:
—Creativity
—Leadership
—Community Connections
—Confidence, Grit and Courage
—Time and Financial Resources
—Risk-Taking
—A Growth Mindset
—Adaptability
—+MORE!
THE GUEST SPEAKERS
Young Entrepreneur Institute — Special Projects Managers
YEI representatives visited the classrooms, facilitating collaborative brainstorming through small group breakout sessions and games, ultimately inspiring students to give impromptu business pitches to the entire classroom.
CMS 6th-grade students enjoying a small-group breakout session of business concept brainstorming in the classroom on Dec. 8 - an activity led by YEI Special Projects Manager Robin Eisen
Mr. Holmes' presentation delved into his own life experience of conceptualizing his business at the young age of 15, learning from his grandfather how to make applesauce, and asking for apples each year for his birthday and for holidays to help him hone his skills. A slideshow presentation demonstrated how Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce production initially operated in its early days to the current day when the process is now fully automated.
Among Mr. Delahanty's discussions were details on his first-hand experience on the Shark Tank television series and — prior to that — his studies in college and time in the Peace Corps in the Amazon rainforest, providing an up-close example of how a career journey need not be linear and emphasizing that experience builds confidence, leadership skills, and discovery of next steps.
WHAT'S AHEAD
With the speaker series insights and inspiration now in their toolboxes, CMS sixth-grade students are developing their own innovative business ideas.
Hilltoppers will curate their ideas into sales pitches and submit them as video contest entries to the Young Entrepreneur Institute's K-12 Pitch Challenge. Participation in the YEI's Pitch Challenge is an annual tradition for the school's sixth-grade social studies and English Language Arts classes.
Chardon Schools looks forward to hearing the students' ideas and the creative ways they've chosen to persuasively present the entrepreneurial concepts.
THANK YOU
Special thank you to sixth-grade teacher Ms. Holub for coordinating the December speaker series and to the guest speakers who so generously gave of their expertise, inspiration and time.
(l to r) Peaceful Fruits LLC CEO and Founder Evan Delahanty and CMS teacher Rachel Holub;
CMS teacher Juliet Peterson and YEI Special Projects Manager Robin Eisen;
Rachel Holub and Holmes Mouthwatering Applesauce CEO and Founder Ethan Holmes
We Are Chardon
We Commit to High Achievement for All Students