According to the Kauffman Foundation’s 2020 National Report on early-stage entrepreneurship in the United States, the rate of new entrepreneurs increased sharply from 2019 to 2020, a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic. But the rate of new entrepreneurs is lowest among the youngest group, ages 20–34. The Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs is committed to reversing this trend in Kentucky. And it’s working.
In the last eight years, over 600 high school students from across Kentucky have participated in GSE, a residential summer program where Kentucky teens focus on product innovation and business model design.
A recent survey found that GSE alumni are poised to positively impact the commonwealth. Notably, 75% of alumni attend college in Kentucky, 70% pursue STEM-related degrees at the collegiate level and nearly one in two alumni continues direct entrepreneurship education after the program.
As a direct result of their participation in GSE, alumni also qualify for some $5 million in annual scholarship opportunities from Kentucky’s universities and colleges.
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Complementing these encouraging education statistics are numerous alumni business formation success stories.
A fresh infusion of young entrepreneurs can change the economic landscape by creating more companies and more jobs right here in Kentucky. GSE alumni have filed for multiple patents and launched more than 20 new businesses in Kentucky and beyond.
Deanna Allen, an entrepreneur from Louisville, attended GSE in 2014. She is the founder and CEO of D Avanti Boutique, an online clothing boutique. According to her, “GSE played an integral part in my stepping into entrepreneurship.
I learned so many skills that I have carried with me into life and business, but even more so GSE enabled my belief in myself that I could pursue my own dream rather than someone else’s.”
Sophia Samutin, an alum from the inaugural class of GSE in 2013, graduated from Harvard and is now working as a Business Insights Associate in New York City.
Sophia is the CEO and co-founder of Jade, an online dating platform, launching this fall. While Sophia says she’s always been an entrepreneur, starting her first business out of her backyard as a child, she attributes her confidence as an entrepreneur to her time at GSE.
And Cam Lasley, a 2017 GSE alum from Larue County, is the founder and CEO of Telecast Communications, a wireless internet provider in eastern Kentucky. Cam founded Telecast communications to create fast, affordable, and reliable broadband to his community to help the many families who began working from home during the pandemic. Today, they provide service in four cities, delivering speeds well over 100 megabits to homes and businesses in rural Kentucky.
While we are proud of our alumni and are excited to celebrate National Entrepreneur’s Day on Tuesday, Nov. 16, GSE actually celebrates entrepreneurship every day and we need your help in encouraging Kentucky teens to join the ranks of these impressive alumni.
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Applications for our free summer 2022 program will open on November 15th with sessions taking place June 12 through July 2, and July 10 through July 30, at Northern Kentucky University.
Students currently in ninth, tenth and eleventh grades in a Kentucky public or accredited private school, regardless of income level, can apply for free at www.KentuckyGSE.com.
The competitive application process evaluates the skills, motivation and creativity of the student. We look for students who have skills and interests in engineering, coding, software, science, finance (math), sales, marketing, art and design and who will actively contribute to a business team.
We believe grit, a growth mindset and creativity in problem-solving tell as much about a young person as class grades and test scores, neither of which are considered as part of the application process.
At GSE, Kentucky’s teens learn how to be courageous, to take risks with their ideas, to embrace diverse thinking, to work collaboratively and to creatively solve problems. They walk away with the confidence and know-how to start a business, as well as an entrepreneurial mindset that will serve them throughout their lives.
They’ll never be ‘stuck’ if they can create a solution, forge a new path or reinvent themselves to adapt to any set of circumstances life might throw at them.
Join us in celebrating National Entrepreneur’s Day … every day.
Natasha Sams is the executive director of the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs
Thanks to strong partnerships with entities including the Kentucky Workforce and Education Development Cabinet, the Cabinet for Economic Development, Toyota Motor Manufacturing, Kentucky and numerous public and private supporters like The Marksbury Family Foundation, and Nate Morris of Rubicon Global, GSE is completely free for selected entrepreneurs. Alumni of GSE gain access to a host of scholarship opportunities, high school class credit and a statewide network of entrepreneurial support.
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