Over the last two years, the Vilas County Economic Development Corporation has formalized an entrepreneurship program with the Northland Pines High School.
“Our goal is to inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs in Vilas County, and we really want to start planting the seed about what would that look like,” said VCEDC Executive Director Kathy Schmitz who is leading the effort.
It started with bringing in Culvers President and CEO Craig Culver to speak with the students in October 2023. He really resonated with the students.
“They're still talking about him today,” said Schmitz.
It led to Schmitz working with Northland Pines staff to create a two-week entrepreneurial education program.
It launched last spring covering everything from how to develop a business plan to how to market it.
They brought in local professionals to teach these different subjects.
“It was really an opportunity to bring real world business leaders into the classroom and talk to these students, rather than hearing, they're the typical business education instructor every day, who they truly love, but how fun to have somebody else come in and talk to them,” said Schmitz.
At the end of those two weeks, VCEDC held a Shark Tank-esque event.
One hundred students from seven businesses classes developed and showcased 42 business plans.
First, second, and third place winners were selected.
The winning ideas included a mobile boat detailing service, a fishing lure design company, and a boat up ice cream shop.
“What Northland Pines told us, and what our research showed is that, to the best of our knowledge, this is unique in the state of Wisconsin in terms of a program where we actually partner with a school, and then we bring in these hands on business leaders, business owners, and leaders in the community to go in and talk to these kids on a regular basis and agree to be mentors with them going on,” said Schmitz.
Schmitz says they plan to continue and build upon this program at Northland Pines.
“Anything that we can do to help inspire that next generation of entrepreneurs, because they really are going to be the future of economic development in our community,” said Schmitz. “We really want them to know that they can come back and start and grow their business here.”
Schmitz says other organizations have reached out to VCEDC about piloting the program in different parts of the state.
