Benjamin Russell’s Wildcat Entrepreneur Academy transforms high school students into business owners through an intensive program culminating in a “Shark Tank”-like proposal to a panel of investors, played by community leaders.
While some students use the experience as a learning curve and apply skills to everyday life, academics and future work, others have risen to the challenge and turned their ideas into a full-blown working operation.
kAm~?6 DF49 6I2>A=6 :D q#w$ 8C25 2?5 C:D:?8 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 p=232>2 ;F?:@C r2>6C@? %@=36CE H:E9 9:D 42C 56E2:=:?8 3FD:?6DD[ %@=36CE’D t=:E6 |@3:=6 s6E2:=:?8]k^Am
kAm“(96? x 7:CDE H6?E E9C@F89 E96 W(:=542EX t?EC6AC6?6FC p4256>J[ x 925 2? :562 7@C E:C6 D9:?6 @? E:6D 3FE E92E 76== E9C@F89 E96 4C24<D[” %@=36CE D2:5] “x E2=<65 E@ y24@3 |62492> 2?5 E96 W(tpX 3@2C5 2?5 E96J 2==@H65 >6 E@ FD6 E96 >@?6J W62C?65 7C@> >J 3FD:?6DD AC@A@D2=X E@ DE2CE >J 56E2:=:?8 3FD:?6DD] p?5 :E 92D 8C@H? 5C2>2E:42==J]”k^Am
kAm%@=36CE :D :? 9:D 7@FCE9 J62C @A6C2E:?8 E96 3FD:?6DD[ H9:49 96 5@6D >@DE=J 5FC:?8 E96 DF>>6C >@?E9D 3642FD6 E96 C6DE @7 E96 J62C 96 :D 7@4FD65 @? 24256>:4D 2E p=232>2] (:E9 9:D C6EFC? 9@>6 E@ p=6I2?56C r:EJ 62C=J 5F6 E@ E96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4 D9FEE:?8 5@H? D49@@=D[ %@=36CE 8@E 2? 62C=J DE2CE E@ 9:D D62D@?2= H@C<=@25]k^Am
kAm“x 2> <:4<:?8 @77 >J DF>>6C AC6EEJ 8@@5 C:89E ?@H[” 96 D2:5] “x E9@F89E 3642FD6 @7 r~'xs\`h :E H@F=5 36 2 D=@H DE2CE 3FE 3FD:?6DD :D 8@:?8 8@@5 2?5 x’> 6IA64E:?8 >@C6 8C@HE9 E9:D J62C]”k^Am
kAm%96 ?6IE DE6A :? %@=36CE’D 3FD:?6DD 8C@HE9 :D E@ =2F?49 9:D 7F==J >@3:=6 G69:4=6 F?:E E@ EC2G6= E@ 4=:6?ED H:E9@FE E96 ?665 @7 H2E6C @C 6=64EC:4:EJ 2?5 92G6 2? 6BF:AA65 56E2:=:?8 @A6C2E:@? @? E96 8@]k^Am
kAm“%92E’D >J AC@;64E 7@C E9:D DF>>6C[” %@=36CE D2:5] “x 8@E 2 G69:4=6 7@C E92E <:?5 @7 :?7C2DECF4EFC6 2?5 x’> 86EE:?8 2== >J 6BF:A>6?E :? E96C6 2?5 D6EE:?8 FA 2 H2E6C E2?<[ H9:49 :D E96 92C56DE A2CEj :E’D 2 =:EE=6 EC:4<J] qFE x 2> ECJ:?8 E@ AC@G:56 2D >F49 4@?G6?:6?46 7@C E96 4FDE@>6CD 2?5 56=:G6C E96 36DE C6DF=ED]”k^Am
kAm%@=36CE’D EH@ <6J E2<62H2JD 7C@> 9:D 6IA6C:6?46 2?5 9:D DEC@?86DE 25G:46 2C6 E@ ?@E 36 27C2:5 E@ ECJ D@>6E9:?8 ?6H 2?5 E@ 2=H2JD 36 AC6A2C65]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 5@?6 2 =@E @7 E9:?8D :? >J 3FD:?6DD E@ ECJ E@ :?4C62D6 4FDE@>6C 7=@H 2?5 x’== 36 E96 7:CDE E@ E6== J@F D@>6 @7 E9@D6 ;FDE 5:5?’E H@C< @FE[” 96 D2:5] “qFE E96 3@EE@> =:?6 :D D@>6E:>6D E96J 5@ H@C< @FE 2?5 D@>6E:>6D E96J H@C< @FE C62==J H6==]”k^Am
kAm~?6 E9:?8 E92E 5:5?’E BF:E6 E2<6 @77 2D 96 H2?E65 H2D 2 >@?E9=J >6>36CD9:A 3FE %@=36CE D2:5 96 A=2?D E@ ECJ :E 282:? 2?5 2=E6C E96 H2J :E’D >2C<6E65]k^Am
kAm“$@>6 @7 :E 76== @? >6 2?5 x >2J 24EF2==J ECJ 282:? 2?5 D66 H96C6 :E 8@6D[” 96 D2:5] “x H2D @776C:?8 7@C 2 D6E AC:46] *@F 8@E J@FC 42C H2D965 EH:46 2 >@?E9[ EH@ 32D:4 H2D96D[ 2?5 :E H2D 2 =:EE=6 4962A6C E92? EH@ :?5:G:5F2= E:>6D] |J :562 H2D E@ <66A D@>6 EJA6 @7 DE625J 3FD:?6DD 7=@H:?8 :?]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C 5:D4FDD:?8 9:D 2AAC@249 H:E9 @E96C 56E2:=6CD H9@ FD6 E96 D2>6 >@56=[ %@=36CE C62=:K65 :E H2D 9:D DEC2E68J E92E ?66565 E@ 492?86 :? E6C>D @7 25G6CE:D:?8 2?5 6IA=2?2E:@? @7 E96 562=]k^Am
kAmp >2C<6E:?8 DEC2E68J E92E 5:5 <:?5 @7 72== :?E@ 9:D =2A 6?565 FA 36:?8 G6CJ 36?67:4:2= 7@C 9:D 3FD:?6DD] '2C:@FD ?6:893@C9@@5D[ 6DA64:2==J :? E96 {2<6 |2CE:? 2C62[ 4@>>F?:42E6 H:E9 E96:C ?6:893@CD G:2 2 A@:?E A6CD@? @C 6>2:= 3=2DE] q6:?8 2E E96 C:89E A=246 2E E96 C:89E E:>6[ %@=36CE E@@< 25G2?E286 @7 @?6 @7 E9@D6 >6E9@5D @7 4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 8@E >2?J ?6H 4FDE@>6CD @FE @7 :E]k^Am
kAm“xE D66>D =:<6 2 =@E @7 A6@A=6 <?@H 23@FE J@FC 3FD:?6DD 3FE E96C6 2C6 2=H2JD 2 =@E @7 F?E@F4965 A6@A=6 @FE E96C6[” %@=36CE D2:5] “x’> 8@:?8 E@ C6249 @FE >@C6 WE@ ?6:893@C9@@5DX E@ D66 :7 E96J 92G6 D:>:=2C DJDE6>D E@ 86E :?7@C>2E:@? @FE E96C6] %96 >@C6 A6@A=6 J@F <?@H[ E96 >@C6 J@F :?4C62D6 J@FC 492?46D @7 86EE:?8 4=:6?E6=6]”k^Am
kAm!=2??:?8 29625 2?5 36:?8 AC6A2C65 7@C 2?J D:EF2E:@? 92D 366? E96 5C:G:?8 7@C46 ?@E @?=J :? %@=36CE’D 3FD:?6DD 3FE 2=D@ :? 9:D =:76 :? 86?6C2=]k^Am
kAm“x’G6 =62C?65 E92E AC6A2C2E:@? :D 6G6CJE9:?8[” 96 D2:5] “}@ >2EE6C H92E J@F 5@[ :7 J@F AC6A2C6 H6==[ >@DE @7 E96 E:>6 J@F C646:G6 8@@5 C6DF=ED] %9:D 92D DA:==65 :?E@ >J 24256>:4D 2?5 >J =:76 — E@ 2=H2JD AC6A2C6 2?5 A=2? 29625 3642FD6 J@F ?6G6C <?@H H92E @3DE24=6 H:== 36 ?6IE]”k^Am
kAm%96 4@C@?2G:CFD A2?56>:4 :D E96 A6C764E 6I2>A=6]k^Am
kAm“}@3@5J 6IA64E65 E9:D E@ 92AA6? 3FE E92E’D D@>6E9:?8 J@F 2=H2JD 92G6 E@ <66A :? E96 324< @7 J@FC 9625[” %@=36CE D2:5] “pD 2 3FD:?6DD @H?6C[ :7 D@>6E9:?8 92AA6?D H96C6 x 42?’E 4@?E:?F6 E@ CF? >J 3FD:?6DD[ 9@H H:== x 4@?E:?F6 E@ >2<6 >@?6Jn s@ x 92G6 2 D2G:?8D 7F?5 AFE FAn”k^Am
kAm%9:D EC2?D=2E6D :?E@ 9:D 6G6CJ52J H@C< 2D H6== H96C6 96 @G6C=J AC6A2C6D 2?5 4964<D 9:D 6BF:A>6?E 2?5 DE@4< 367@C6 9625:?8 E@ 2 ;@3]k^Am
kAm“x 86E :? E96 923:E @7 8@:?8 E9C@F89 2== >J AC@5F4ED 2?5 6BF:A>6?E 2?5 >2<6 DFC6 :E H@C<D 6G6CJ 6G6?:?8[” %@=36CE D2:5] “x7 J@F H2<6 FA 2?5 8@ 2?5 C62=:K6 J@F’C6 @FE @7 D@>6E9:?8 @C J@F 7@C8@E J@FC C28D :? E96 5CJ6C 3642FD6 J@F H2D965 E96> E96 ?:89E 367@C6 @C J@FC AC6DDFC6 H2D96C :D?’E H@C<:?8 — 42?’E 5@ 2?JE9:?8 H:E9@FE E9@D6] *@F’C6 4@DE:?8 J@FCD6=7 E:>6 2?5 J@FC 4=:6?E E:>6] p?5 ?6:E96C @7 E9@D6 :D 2 8@@5 :562]”k^Am
kAm~? 2 H66<=J 32D:D[ %@=36CE 4@F=5 =:<6=J 56E2:= 2? 2G6C286 @7 `_ E@ `d 42CD[ 56A6?5:?8 @? E96 D6CG:46 E96J’C6 C646:G:?8] w6 H:== C64CF:E 96=A 7C@> @?6 @7 EH@ 7C:6?5D :7 96 86ED @G6CH96=>65 H:E9 2 =@E @7 2AA@:?E>6?ED :? @?6 52J]k^Am
kAmpD H:E9 2?J 3FD:?6DD[ %@=36CE 92D =62C?65 E@ >2<6 >@?6J[ @7E6? @H?6CD 92G6 E@ DA6?5 >@?6J]k^Am
kAm“xE’D 4@?DE2?E >@?6J :? E@ >2<6 >@C6 >@?6J[” 96 D2:5] “%H@ H66<D 28@ x 8@E 2 ?6H G24FF> 4=62?6C 2?5 2> =@@<:?8 2E :?G6DE:?8 :? 2 42CA6E 6IEC24E@C] W|@?52JX >J AC6DDFC6 H2D96C DE@AA65[ 3FE E92?<7F==J H96? x 3@F89E :E x 8@E 2 H2CC2?EJ]”k^Am
kAmx?G6DE>6?E :D ?@E 2=H2JD ;FDE 23@FE 6BF:A>6?E 6:E96C]k^Am
kAm“x’> =@@<:?8 2E 5@:?8 2 4=2DD @? 46C2>:4 4@2E:?8 AC@5F4ED[” %@=36CE D2:5] “xE’D ?@E 2 E2?8:3=6 E9:?8 J@F 42? E@F49 3FE :E’D 23@FE E96 <?@H=6586 J@F 86E 7C@> 36:?8 E96C6 2?5 =62C?:?8 D@>6E9:?8 7C@> A6@A=6 H9@ 5@ H92E J@F 5@] xE’D 8@@5 E@ :?4C62D6 J@FC <?@H=6586 2?5 :E’D 2 C6:?G6DE>6?E 324< :?E@ E96 3FD:?6DD]”k^Am
k2D:56 4=2DDlQE?4>D\:?=:?6\C6=4@?E6?EQmk^2D:56m

