Teacher And Students Visit New York To Pitch And Learn From Leading Entrepreneurs
Robyn D. Shulman Contributor
I cover the intersection of education and entrepreneurship.
Our upcoming workforce is set up for a much different path than any other previous generation.
Don Wettrick, Noblesville High School teacher and Founder of StartEdUp is changing the way youth participate in the education system, and he's not only talking--he's taking action.
Author Seth Godin questions the cohort students about their product or service. Ava Wettrick listening closely.
If you follow the education conversation, you may notice a quiet movement bubbling to the surface. Albeit slow, we are starting to see changes in the education climate that align with the needs of the 21st-century.
Over the past decade, technology has played a significant role in the way we live. And, this technological impact can leave us wondering about the future of employment, entrepreneurship, and the global economy.
Our youth hold the future of our country in their hands. As leading teachers and parents, we must change the education paradigm and shift our thinking and teaching to ensure we prepare young people for an ever-changing workforce.
The current generation of teenagers in high school should learn about innovation, experience entrepreneurship, and build on their creative skills.
As teachers, we know it can be a challenge to change the education ecosystem.
However, one educator is leading the way to provide his students with the experiences and tools they need to find success inside and outside of the classroom.
I had the chance to catch up with Wettrick since our last chat.
In this interview which has been edited and condensed, you'll learn more about StartEdUp and a memorable trip to New York. To name a few, the students spent time learning from Seth Godin, visiting Google, pitching at Atlantic Records, and touring the New York Stock Exchange.
Robyn Shulman: Since we last spoke at the beginning of the year, The StartEdUp Foundation became a non-profit. Can you tell me the story?
Don Wettrick: The StartEdUp Foundation was an idea Hunter Stone (a former student) and I wanted to pursue for some time.
Shulman: What is the goal of the StartEdUp Foundation?
Wettrick: Our goal has long been to develop an organization where we can offer seed funding to student entrepreneurs who are ready to take the jump and attempt to get off of the ground.
Shulman: What's the mission for the non-profit?
Wettrick: We provide the "Three M's" of Money, Mentors, and Media. We offer money in zero-interest loans or grants as a charitable fund; mentors from our stable of entrepreneurs and authors and push media through various social media and traditional media outlets to celebrate our young entrepreneurs.
Shulman: How did you launch the non-profit?
Wettrick: We began to actualize this dream earlier this year when we teamed up with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to take on another charitable project: to build an accelerator program to empower Indiana's economy by catapulting a cohort of its student entrepreneurs.
Shulman: How many people are on the StartEdUp team and who are they?
Wettrick: There are currently four of us on the team including Hunter Stone, Jeremy Miller, Joe Van Deman and myself.
Shulman: How about your advisory board?
Wettrick: Our advisory board includes JT McCormick, CEO of Scribe Media; Molly Cain, Director of Venture & Innovation for the US Department of Homeland Security; and John McDonald, CEO of Clear Object.
Shulman: You had a pitching competition in Indiana. Can you tell me about it?
Wettrick: On April 9, 2018, we held a pitching competition at The Indiana State Museum entitled "Innovate WithIN." The State of Indiana through a collaboration with the IEDC, Ball State University, and the StartEdUp Foundation held the competition. The mission was to help foster a spirit of innovation and entrepreneurship by empowering students to hone their innovative thinking.
Shulman: How many students participated?
Wettrick: There were around 300 students from 65 different high schools who participated from around the state of Indiana. The finalist was selected from each of nine geographic regions. These nine finalists and the winner were then invited to be a part of the inaugural cohort, which was designed to be an incubator/accelerator, supporting the growth of student businesses for a period of eight months.
Shulman: Who won?
Wettrick: The winners were Colin Wareham and Jackson Ramey, founders of Educaid.
Shulman: This past July, your winning cohort took a trip to New York to learn from top business leaders and to pitch their own startups. How many students went with you on the trip and where did you go?
Wettrick: Ten students attended the trip. We went to the following places: AdHawk, Charity Water, Barnes & Noble, Needham & Company, Atlantic Records, Google NYC, NYSE/ CNBC Stock Exchange floor studio, Fete New York Food Hall, and we met with Seth Godin. We also spent some time at Times Square, Grand Central Station, Rockefeller Center, 9/11 Memorial, Wall Street, and Little Italy.
Shulman: Who did the students work with and what did they learn?
Wettrick: Our journey began at AdHawk, and we worked with Todd Saunders, CEO.
He taught us that potential customers are something of value, and they are a great way to gain trust and build a brand. AdHawk spent a lot of time in their early days developing quality educational content across many channels, which has later allowed for organic growth of their business.
Todd Saunders, CEO of AdHawk, talks to the students about how they started and built their own brand.
Shulman: And, where did you go next?
Wettrick: We sat down with Scott Harrison, Founder of Charity Water. He taught us that you are in control of the story of your organization. Spend time with your customers to learn how your product or company has genuinely impacted their lives, and use those stories to craft your brand.
Finally, he shared why the mission for Charity Water is so vital-clean drinking water literally will save millions of lives.
Meeting with Scott Harrison, Founder of Charity Water
Shulman: Tell me about the Barnes & Noble visit.
Wettrick: At Barnes & Noble, we met with Julie Lyle, Interim CMO. She told us that regardless of your role as an entrepreneur or an employee, it's necessary to set time aside to continue learning and remain relevant. With the pace of business, those who don't invest in their personal growth will quickly become irrelevant.
Julie Lyle, CMO of Barnes and Noble, discussed the importance of lifelong learning, especially as a business leader.
Shulman: You also went to Needham & Company. What was that like?
Wettrick: Ryan Walters of Needham and Company delivered one of the most educational moments for the students as he discussed the difference between investment banking and venture capital.
Then, Andrew Malik, Chairman of the company, made a surprise visit to talk about the history, importance, and future of the stock exchange. Malik's rich background and experience allowed for literally dozens of questions from the students.
We ran out of time, and on the way out of the building, Malik indicated that he didn't expect to field so many interesting questions.
Andrew Malik, Chairman of Needham & Company, gives his advanced insights into investing and the stock market.
Shulman: The students met with Seth Godin. What did he teach them?
Wettrick: Seth Godin and Henry Fuentes, our host at Avison Young, taught us about how understanding the fear and motivation of your customer can simplify how you market and sell your product.
Godin gave feedback on every student's pitch and challenged them to defend his objections. Also, Henry Fuentes talked to our students about Avison Young's approach to mentorship and giving back. He explained how encouraging employees to find a mission and offer help defined the work culture at Avison Young.
Shulman: Tell me about the night at Atlantic Records.
Wettrick: The pitch night at Atlantic Records was a massive win for the students. Jordan Chalmers, who is the Lifestyle and Influencer Marketing Manager for Atlantic, helped me coordinate the networking night.
Shulman: How did the event begin?
Wettrick: This event began as a panel discussion regarding the topic of education and why students needs to embrace the entrepreneurial mindset. After the discussion, the students pitched their company or organization to the crowd.
Cohort students make their pitch at Atlantic Records. Morgan Spade, CEO of Mini Mammals, and Sarah Schaefer, CMO of Go Plant It.
Shulman: Who was on the pitching panel?
Wettrick: Our panelists included Molly Cain, Director of Innovation for Homeland Security; Ryne Haas, Paradigm Esports, (and a student from our cohort); Jordan Chalmers, Director of Influencer Marketing at Atlantic Records; Eliot Robinson, CEO of Dunk Media, and former Vayner Media employee; and Manu Goswami, CEO and Founder of TrueFan Inc.
From Left to Right: Ryne Haas, Paradigm Esports; Molly Cain, Director of Innovation for Homeland Security; Jordan Chalmers, Director of Influencer Marketing at Atlantic Records; Eliot Robinson, CEO Dunk Media; Manu Goswami, CEO of True Fan.
Shulman: Did the students compete with their pitches at Atlantic Records?
Wettrick: Everyone won at the Atlantic networking night. All of our cohort students are now collaborating and in communication with the guests who attended.
Shulman: You also went to the New York Stock Exchange. What was it like to be there live?
Wettrick: The experience on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange was an honor.
Jon Fortt, the host on CNBC's Squawk Alley and Fortt Knox podcast, gave the students a behind the scenes tour of the stock floor, and the CNBC's NYSE floor studio.
Host of CNBC's Squak Alley & Fortt Knox Podcast, John Fortt met with the students on the NYSE floor and CNBC's NYSE studio.
StartEdUp
Shulman: Reflecting now, how did the trip influence you and the students?
Wettrick: The trip was an eye-opening experience for the students and myself. One of the most rewarding parts was that our hosts were reminding the students of the importance of the trip, and how they should use the experience to create an awareness of student-led entrepreneurialism.
Shulman: Did the students understand the significance of the trip?
Wettrick: Yes, and it was also a confidence builder. They were asked to give an elevator pitch at every host site, and they kept getting better. They also started to believe that they were there for a reason. And, they knew this wasn't a fun field trip. They learned they were there because their journey as a young entrepreneur had merit, and was an essential shift in education.
Shulman: What was your favorite quote from the business leaders?
Wettrick: My favorite quote was from Seth Godin after he heard elevator pitches from all the groups. He smiled and said, "I consider myself to be an optimistic person, but after hearing your pitches, I'm really optimistic about our future. This is awesome, and I'm inspired by all of you."
Shulman: What were the top three things the students learned about entrepreneurship from the leaders?
Wettrick:
Start now. Their youth along with the willingness to learn is key to success;
Network. Most of our hosts kept reinforcing how lucky the students were to be with this cohort, and that the foundation was getting them out to meet great people;
Take the pulse of your network. Learn to listen to what is coming next.
Shulman: What were some of the most memorable moments from the trip?
Walking out of the Seth Godin meeting, some of our students told me, in bewilderment, "Seth Godin just consulted us on our business? Can we put that on our LinkedIn bios?"
The event at Atlantic Records strengthened the bond between the Paradigm Esports team and Atlantic's Jordan Chalmers. They had the opportunity to network and mapped out potential collaborations. It was also the best way for our cohort students to network with professionals.
Scott Harrison surprised all the students and gave them an advanced copy of his new book, Thirst. The book was three months from hitting the market, so this was quite an honor for us.
Shulman: And since you came home?
Wettrick: Since coming back to Indiana, several students have started to develop deeper relationships with many of our hosts.
Team Educaid is in regular contact with the Ad Hawk founders. Mentorz Media team had the opportunity to meet with Molly Cain, Director of Innovation for Homeland Security, and is now interning for Molly and her organization, Glass Heel, which encourages and promotes female entrepreneurs.
And, The Paradigm Esports team is now fully collaborating with Jordan Chalmers of Atlantic Records.
Shulman: Anything that surprised you along the way?
Wettrick: At each visit, the groups had to make the elevator pitch. At first, some were shaky or scattered. However, by the time the students got to pitch at Atlantic, I watched them transform from students to young entrepreneurs in front of my eyes.
And, the networking and discussions afterward were incredibly beneficial. All of the students stayed and shared their "why" stories. They also had the chance to share their business cards with those in attendance.
Shulman: Do you have any plans for your next trip in the works?
Wettrick: StartEdUp Foundation has received invitations from several groups and individuals to take similar trips to Chicago, Austin, Washington DC, Pittsburgh, Tampa, Silicon Valley, and more.
We're evaluating different options for making some of these trips a reality in the coming year.
Since we have to limit the size of our groups, we worked hard to make sure our students documented the experiences so other young entrepreneurs can share, learn, and leverage the knowledge of the many wonderful people we met with throughout the trip.
Shulman: Any quotes from the students?
Colin Wareham, CEO of Educaid,
Scott Harrison, Seth Godin, and Todd Saunders in combination taught me one big thing: How to tell powerful stories to engage your customers effectively. It was a mindset change for me. It's less about driving faceless conversions, and more about building personal relationships over social media.
Sarah Schaefer, CMO of Let's Plant It,
NYC was a chance to get out of our normal and be challenged to think differently, and I learned the power of networking and being there for others. I also learned from Scott Harrison, owner of Charity Water, the importance of not sacrificing morals and integrity for profit.
Ryne Haas, CEO of Paradigm Esports,
My time in New York City was eye-opening and inspiring, seeing so many young people pursuing their dreams and being successful doing it left me feeling more confident in my own journey. One highlight of the trip for me was our time at Atlantic Records, there I sat on a panel with four extraordinary individuals (Jordan Chalmers of Atlantic Records, Molly Cain of Homeland Security, Eliot Robinson of Dunk Media, and Manu Goswami of TruFan) and talked the importance of your network, community, and brand. My time at also Atlantic allowed me to connect with someone I consider a mentor in Jordan Chalmers, the director of Influencer & Lifestyle Marketing at Atlantic Records, and create a more meaningful relationship that will be beneficial for years to come.
Ava Wettrick, Founder of Mentorz Media,
I received marketing and life advice from Seth Godin. At age 17. I must be dreaming? This was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience.
Shulman: Where can educators and parents go if they want to learn more or bring your program into their schools and homes?
Wettrick: We have mindset and entrepreneurial courses for schools and home-schooled students can be found at StartEdUp. All information about Future Ready U, including other offerings can be found there.
Robyn D. Shulman
I am honored to be named LinkedIn's #1 Top Voice in Education, 2018. I am a certified K-9 teacher, and the founder of EdNews Daily. EdNews Daily is an education media ou...