Fifty Indiana high school students from 28 counties could grow the economies of their hometowns when they learn about the entrepreneurial process at a nationally award-winning program hosted on the campus of Purdue University.
Greater Lafayette business leaders and Purdue Research Park experts will teach high school students about the world of entrepreneurship during the seventh annual Purdue Research Park Entrepreneurship Academy, set for Sunday (June 23) through June 28. It was named the Incubation Innovation Award winner by the National Business Association in 2010.
Participants in the 2013 Purdue Research Park Entrepreneurship Academy are:
HOMETOWN - FIRST NAME - LAST NAME - SCHOOL
Amboy - Lisa - Fleener - Oak Hill High School
Beech Grove - Maggie - Koch - Beech Grove High School
Bloomfield - Thomas - Newby - North Daviess High School
Bourbon - Lisa - Otto - Triton High School
Brook - Samuel - Wernert - South Newton High School
Chesterton - Addison - Dempsay - Chesterton High School
Chesterton - Taryn - Trusty - Chesterton High School
Crown Point - Simone - Stew - Crown Point High School
Decatur - Jared - Lehman - Adams Central High School
Evansville - Eric - Buedel - Harrison High School
Frankfort - Anthony - Cheng - Frankfort High School
Franklin - Kyle - Thompson - Franklin High School
Fort Wayne - Ryan - Arnold - Lakewood Park Christian School
Fort Wayne - Dillon - Fernando - Carroll High School
Gary - Asha - Walker - Calumet New Tech High School
Greensburg - Eric - Moorman - North Decatur High School
Hanna - David - Keating - South Central High School
Highland - Alexandra - Magallon - Highland High School
Indianapolis - Lucy - Eisgruber - Bishop Chatard High School
Indianapolis - Amarylla - Judd - Decatur Discovery Academy
Indianapolis - Susannah - Pritchett-Montavon - Lawrence North High School
Indianapolis - Elyce - Stephenson - Franklin Township High School
Knox - Elizabeth - Wilks - John Glenn High School
Kokomo - Teng - Lee - Kokomo High School
Lafayette - Rachel - Hutzel - Central Catholic High School
Leo - Ryan - Schwartz - Lakewood Park Christian School
Long Beach - Katarina - McGuckin - La Lumiere School
Marion - Jonathan - Gerth - Franklin Central High School
Merrillville - Huldah - Ohiani-Jegede - Merrillville High School
Munster - Josh - Shalen - Munster High School
New Palestine - Samuel - O'Dell - New Palestine High School
Newburgh - Cassandra - Flener - Castle High School
Newburgh - Shuchay - Subramanian - Signature High School
Noblesville - Kara - Latham - Noblesville High School
Noblesville - Caitlin - Moss - Noblesville High School
North Judson - Bane - Stayrook - North Judson-San Pierre High School
Oxford - Chad - Stucky - Benton Central High School
Patoka - Corey - Lutz - Princeton High School
Sheridan - Shelby - Breen - Sheridan High School
Switz City - Alysa - Woodall - White River Valley High School
Terre Haute - Krishan - Kumar - Terre Haute South High School
Valparaiso - Brandon - Hamill - Valparaiso High School
Valparaiso - Mikaela - Meyer - Chesterton High School
Vincennes - Brittany - Weber - Rivet High School
Warsaw - Maryl - Gerst - Lakeland Christian Academy
Warsaw - Abbey - Hartwiger - Lakeland Christian Academy
West Lafayette - George - Chien - West Lafayette High School
West Lafayette - Cameron - Greene - Harrison High School
West Lafayette - Katherine - Shively - West Lafayette High School
Westfield - Stan - Mattingly - Guerin Catholic High School
Participants will test the viability of a business idea that already has been used to create a high-tech company. They will identify capital needs and devise a management plan based on a methodology called "So what? who cares? why you?®" developed by Wendy Kennedy, a technology industry executive, professor and author.
The weeklong event concludes with a business plan competition during which teams present capital needs and management plans to a panel of judges. Members of the top three winning teams will receive tuition vouchers that are accepted at all Purdue University campuses. Officials at Purdue University's Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program will waive one course requirement for all participants who complete the academy.
Tim Peoples, director of the Purdue Research Park Entrepreneurship Academy, said sponsors are being sought for the 2013 event. Current sponsors include Accent on Business, Barnes & Thornburg, Bill DeFouw Chevrolet-BMW, Coldwell Banker Shook, CSO Architects, Duke Energy Foundation, Fifth Third Bank, Great Harvest Bread Co., Greater Lafayette Chamber, Henriott Group, Hot Box Pizza, Purdue Federal Credit Union, Purdue Research Foundation, Ronald Blue & Co., Sign Art Etc., The National Group, Underground Printing and White Iris Designs.
About Purdue Research Park
The Purdue Research Park, with four locations across Indiana, has the largest university-affiliated business incubation complex in the country. The parks are home to about 200 companies that employ 4,000 people and are located in West Lafayette, Indianapolis, Merrillville and New Albany.