By Aubrey Haase
More than 55 high school students from across Michigan recently attended the third annual Entrepreneur Leadership High School Camp at Michigan State University.
The Entrepreneur Leadership High School Camp is a free, one-of-a-kind four-day camp for rising high school juniors and seniors. It offers an immersive entrepreneurship experience, providing a platform for young entrepreneurs to pursue their educational and entrepreneurial dreams.
With the support of the Chapman Family Foundation as Presenting Role Sponsor, the Camp, held at the Eli Broad College of Business, was founded by the Multicultural Business Programs (MBP) and the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship & Innovation — recognized as a national leader in entrepreneurship education by the Princeton Review.
“Empowering young minds with the tools and mindset to innovate is not just an investment in their future, but in the future of our communities and industries.” said Tamira Chapman, B.A. Supply Chain Management ’01, president and CEO of Storehouse in a Box, LLC. “This camp is a catalyst for these students to explore their entrepreneurial potential and realize that their ideas can change their families, our communities, and the world.”
The Burgess Institute’s collaboration with MBP and its mission to build a legacy of diverse, distinguished, successful business leaders built a well-rounded experience for this year’s participants. The camp’s schedule was packed with exhilarating experiences — and participants left equipped with the skills, relationships and knowledge they acquired during the camp, all while living on campus and exploring what it’s like to live, learn and grow at MSU.
“This year’s High School Entrepreneur Camp was successful for many important reasons,” Marquis Taylor, program coordinator for MBP, said. “Record number of applicants, valuable media exposure and hosting students from as far as California all helped accomplish our goals of supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs from the state of Michigan and now across the country. The camp’s success can also be attributed to the many MSU alumni and community leaders who invested their time, talent, and wisdom into our students throughout the week.”
“Offering young entrepreneurs the opportunity to attend our camp opens the door for them to dream about a future that is possible,” Desiree Melfi Bozzo, director of student success and advising for the Burgess Institute, said. “They attend the camp and immediately begin doing entrepreneurial activities and sharpening an entrepreneurial mindset. They leave with not only new knowledge and skills but also a new narrative about who they can become now and in the future.”
Throughout the four-day program, students engaged in workshops, team-building activities, seminars and presentations that included all areas of business and entrepreneurship. Students also worked through a problem-solving challenge and had discussions with members of Michigan’s entrepreneurial ecosystem as well as with experienced local and student entrepreneurs. Students learned essential skills like personal branding, core values, business model development, social media marketing, and e-commerce.
The camp culminated with a local entrepreneur panel featuring David Yang, Perry Hamilton, and Regan Clem, participant presentations, and keynote speeches from Anthony Thompson, Dr. LaToya Thompson, and sponsor Tamira Chapman.
Chapman’s passion for fostering growth in young entrepreneurs inspired a unique e-commerce exercise where students were tasked with designing a new shoe that fit the needs of their unique target customer and developing a marketing strategy that would get buyers attention. A special anecdote was then at the conclusion of the camp, each student received a backpack and pair of shoes from Colin Kaepernick, Nessa, and Nike.
Overall, the camp provided a unique opportunity for students to apply their creativity and business acumen in real-world scenarios, fostering a deeper understanding of entrepreneurial principles and preparing them for the challenges of the business world.
More information about the Entrepreneur Leadership High School Camp, including dates for 2025, will be available via MBP.