TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTWO/WAWV) – Students from five local high schools swarmed Entrepreneurship Day at Indiana State University.
Local students got a first hand look at the business world Tuesday, but one local student has already begun her journey. Andrieli Dos Santos owns and runs a nail business.
“If I don’t have the right finance, if I don’t make my accounts right and I’m selling them for less than I should, those are things that I can see that we are all learning as of right now,” Dos Santos said. “It wasn’t too big later on in the community, and now it’s really growing and I’m glad to be a part of it.”
Approximately 100 students from five local high schools had the opportunity to pitch a solution to a problem selected for their group. This year marks year three for the event, and ISU assistant director of business engagement John Lotz says student involvement continues to grow.
“I’m really impressed with the entrepreneurial spirit that this younger generation possesses,” Lotz said. “They are amazingly entrepreneurial, and a lot of them are really eager to kind of pursue their creative chops in these entrepreneurial ventures.”
Another student, Liam Andreas, says the program serves as a reminder for entrepreneurs to remember the little things.
“You gotta think minute details, cost, ways things work, how people work,” Andreas said. “Working together really shows how this comes together and really how it’ll benefit you and other people in the long run. That’s another thing this program does really well.”
the West Central Indiana Small Business Development Center assisted with the event, and their ecosystems navigator Jared Ell says that the elevator pitches are a useful tool for real-world application.
“I tell the students that I talk with a lot that there’s a lot of problems in the world, and they can solve these problems,” Ell said. “They have the creative mindset to come up with ideas that nobody else has, and watching them come up with these and pitch them to the rest of the group has been really fantastic.”
Upcoming events:
November 19 – Seed Expo and Pitch Competition, 5:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Vigo County History Center
November 20 – Brand Market Expand Conference, 9:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. at ISU Scott College of Business
Brush and Mortar Art Exchange Kickoff, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Ohio Building
November 22 – Entrepreneur Appreciation Day with Sandbox Social, 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. at Sandbox Social.
