Spotlight on Launching an Entrepreneurship Program

In the spring of 2023, Talbott Behnken visited the Entrepreneurship Symposium hosted at Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy and started dreaming big–he brought this dream to Gilbert Christian Schools in his role as principal and the vision caught on with Gilbert Christian’s superintendent Jim Desmarchais.

When I met with them both, I explained that the key to a successful launch of an entrepreneurship program was finding the right person to lead it–if they found a teacher who knew how to engage students, they would be in great shape and I would be able to come alongside with the training, the materials, and the curriculum for a fall, 2024 launch.

And that’s how I met Jason Pasquariello. Jason was operating as both a high school teacher and basketball coach, along with juggling all the other responsibilities that come with being an impact player in a Christian school.

What we discovered as we started working together was that Jason’s experience on the basketball court synergized perfectly with the entrepreneurial mindset–he was already innately using language like “growth mindset,” “grit,” and “redefine failure.”  He also didn’t shy away from challenges–instead of starting with the 8 to 12 students I typically recommend, he was starting with 71 students spread over four classes.

And the program took off.

As the students worked through Foundations of Entrepreneurship, they took over the school’s vending machine business and then launched a cafe on the campus. The program continued to grow throughout the year with the class starting a Friday morning student news show, and with a number of students launching their own ventures.

Now Gilbert Christian is preparing for the second year of the program where more students will enter the program and many will stay on to further develop their entrepreneurial mindset. And this excitement spills over even into the fourth quarter of the year, where typically students disengage. In his own words, Jason explains, “Their enthusiasm for the class and running our businesses has been a pleasant surprise. The students are engaged and having fun developing the mindset that is constantly reinforced throughout the Foundations of Entrepreneurship class.”

Growth is contagious, and when students see this in real time, it becomes a life-changing experience.

Connect with me to learn how to bring this program to your school.

Gilbert Christian students making cafe drinks for their customers.

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