Indiana High School Students to Learn Entrepreneurial Process, Economic Development at Academy

PurdueLogoFifty 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.