News Release

WINONA LAKE — The community is invited to support and celebrate local student entrepreneurs at the second annual Kosciusko Student Venture Challenge: 2025 Student Showcase, which will be held from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, April 17, at Rodeheaver Auditorium, 1 Lancer Way, Winona Lake.

The event is hosted by the Hoosier Enduring Legacy Program Kosciusko and Believe in a Dream Inc.

The Kosciusko Student Venture Challenge is a customized eight-week entrepreneurship boot camp for local high school students. Student programming is facilitated by entrepreneur coach Steve Franks of Believe in a Dream, and students from Lakeland Christian Academy, Tippecanoe Valley, Whitko, Warsaw and Wawasee high schools are participating in the program.

“It’s been amazing to see this program expand, with even more schools and students participating this year,” said Kosciusko County coordinator Amy Roe. “These students have put in tremendous effort, and I couldn’t be prouder. I invite you to come out, learn about their businesses and support these young entrepreneurs.”

The need to increase support for youth entrepreneurship was identified through the HELP program. The goal of the program is to grow and strengthen the local entrepreneurial ecosystem by introducing high school students to an entrepreneurial mindset and foundational business principles.

“The Whitko Career Academy students in the Kosciusko Student Venture Challenge have worked hard over the past year, building their business ventures from the ground up. Their dedication, creativity and entrepreneurial spirit are truly inspiring. We are excited for the April celebration in a showcase event to witness what business ideas they have brought to life,” said Sandy Benedict, Work-Based Learning specialist and workplace specialist mentor at Whitko Career Academy.

The program consisted of eight two-hour experiential business boot camp sessions covering initial business idea development, elevator pitches, prototyping, marketing and lead generation, setting financial goals, offering and receiving peer-to-peer feedback, and more.

“Last year’s student showcase was a great evening and is a hard act to follow,” said program facilitator Steve Franks of Believe in a Dream. “But this year’s showcase features even more students from more high schools in the county. I’m really proud of their work and how they’ve grown as entrepreneurs.”

The schedule is:

• 5 p.m. — Doors open
• 5:15-5:30 p.m. — Welcome, Amy Roe, Kosciusko County community coordinator
• 5:30-7 p.m. — Business Expo
• 7:15 p.m. — Award ceremony
• 7:45 p.m. — Closing remarks, Steve Franks, Believe in a Dream

“This has been a challenging but engaging experience this year. I’ve enjoyed working with different mentors and business leaders throughout this process. Overall, I’ve had a good time getting to know so many different people in Kosciusko County,” said Tippecanoe Valley student participant Isaac Whetstone.

The event is free to attend. Those attending should register via Eventbrite by Monday, April 7, here: https://bit.ly/KSVC2025.

Event sponsors include: HELP Kosciusko, Believe in a Dream, Don Wood Foundation and the Kosciusko Economic Development Corp., as lead sponsors; Dekko Foundation, gold sponsor; Core Mechanical and Elevate Ventures, award sponsors; and 58 Creative, Grace College, Lakeland Christian Academy, Tippecanoe Valley High School, Warsaw Community High School, Wawasee Community High School and Whitko Community High School, as supporting sponsors.

For updates on HELP Kosciusko, visit kcgov.com and follow HELP Kosciusko on Facebook @HELPKosciusko.