In the News

Entrepreneurship is a long, but rewarding, journey and it requires time, talent, financial resources, and community support to create success.  If I hadn’t taken note of these brothers during my early morning work outs, I would have missed out on discovering the incredible story of DeoBlock and how I could offer guidance and resources for these young entrepreneurs.

NORTH FOND DU LAC (NBC 26)  — What started out as an INCubatoredu class project is now a massive business success, exceeding all expectations. Commah, a line of air fresheners, car diffusers, and essential oils is now sold online and at several local salons and businesses, and will soon have a spot on the shelves of Festival Foods.

Jimmy McDermott’s plans for pursuing consulting while in college changed only moments after his graduation from high school. Thirty minutes after he received his diploma, McDermott, BC ’21, answered a phone call from his superintendent about building a community service tracking app, which he promptly accepted.  

A Marian Central Business Club member has created a new product.
“Senior Matt Cotting, who plans to study aerospace design and technology in college, is our resident 3-D printing guru,” teacher Joe White said. “He first honed his 3-D printing abilities in our INCubatoredu entrepreneur class while he was a sophomore. He really loves all that the 3-D printer can do and has designs in TinkerCAD.”

An entrepreneurship program encouraged a group of students to brainstorm and power through a few roadblocks as they created an app for pet lovers...(Printable article here.)

In San Antonio, TX, an all-women team of Alamo Heights High School students realized one of the problems facing manufacturers of 3D printers was the procurement of raw materials available to make filament. After collaborative deliberation, the group founded FYDER Filament—a company poised to revolutionize sustainable materials sourcing in the 3D printing market. (Printable article here.)

A business incubator class Drake Roberts and Anthony Tamras took their senior year at Palatine High School gave them an idea, disrupted their college plans and changed their lives. Now, after five years of research and development, the 23-year-olds have turned that idea into a growing company that sells a compact, recyclable, plant-based air deodorizer called DeoBlock...

COVID led to an increase in student mental health struggles—but this group of students banded together to help their fellow students. In 2020, the National Council for Mental Wellbeing reported that one in six children under the age of 18 experiences a mental health disorder each year. The pandemic has drastically changed the lives of high schoolers as academic institutions shifted to online or hybrid learning, leading to increased feelings of anxiety, depression, and isolation.  (Printable article here.)

Who would have thought that an off-hand comment made during class would lead a group of high school kids to develop an app; launch a successful start-up; win $12,000 in a national “Shark Tank”-type pitch competition; and, most importantly, find a way to make older Americans feel less isolated, particularly in the era of COVID-19?

For years now, schools have spent time and resources on an aspect of education beyond academics: social and emotional well-being. Yet effective social/emotional programming at the high school level remains elusive, as administrators struggle to force a non-academic subject into a traditional high school model focused on college and career readiness.

However, we’re seeing that entrepreneurship programs can “flip the script” on anxiety...