Fundraising gala helps students become entrepreneurs
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Black ties and elegant dresses filled The Hobson on Feb. 15 as the Kokomo CEO Experience unleashed an evening of fellowship, inspirational speakers, fine dining, live music, and fundraising for a good cause.
The CEO Experience is a key fundraising event for the Kokomo CEO program, which is designed to help area high school juniors and seniors develop skills to make them the community’s next wave of successful entrepreneurs.
CEO participant Regan McClain explained how the event unfolded.
“The CEO experience is a formal, black-tie event here at the Hobson, and we are hosting it as a part of our class business event,” said McClain. “We have Rozzi's catering. We have a VIP session, and we also have a keynote speaker, an alumni speaker, and another speaker during the event.”
The VIP session, which took place before dinner and the main event, featured Sha’Londa Terry, a member of the U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton team training for the Olympics. Terry also is an accomplished track and field sprinter, and in her professional life is a talent recruiter for Consolidated Electrical Distributors, based out of Fort Wayne. Terry spoke on overcoming adversity.
CEO participant Andrew Lesko noted that the event featured three speakers following the dinner, including Kokomo CEO alumna Paxtyn Bailey and a pair of notable business leaders.
“We have some CEOs here!” Lesko exclaimed. “We have Dave Harding from HardingPoorman, a printing company Indianapolis. And we have John Weschler, who is the CEO of Spokenote. We have some big-name speakers. And we have Paxtyn, a Kokomo CEO alumna who is out at IU Kokomo right now, counseling for them.”
Harding is a 42-year veteran of the printing industry who was named to the Printing Industry Hall of Fame. He also is a former newscaster and talk show host for WNDE and Q95 radio in Indianapolis.
Weschler, who served as the evening’s keynote speaker, leads a team of IT professionals that developed a method to add video notes to everyday online interactions. Spokenote has been recognized as the Changemaker of the Year by the NBA, and Weschler works to leverage emerging media and technology to solve real-world problems.
A silent auction took place throughout the evening, but things got lively after the speakers concluded their talks. A live auction took place, featuring the evening’s emcee, Paul Wyman, as auctioneer.
“It's a day to celebrate,” said Lesko. “It lets us see how far CEO has come through the years. This is the 11th year, so it's a big celebration for us.”
Lesko explained that proceeds from the event were split three ways. Part of the funds will help the student entrepreneurs start their businesses. Another portion goes back into the Kokomo CEO program, and a third share will be donated to a nonprofit selected by the students.
The Kokomo CEO program began 11 years ago as a way to introduce high school students to the business world. Each participant meets with the group multiple times each week during the school year as they tour local businesses and talk to the entrepreneurs who operate them.
As part of the program, the students are required to organize events such as the CEO Experience, and the year-long process in which each students develops and launches a small business. The class culminates with a trade show to display their businesses to the public.
According to Kokomo CEO participant Vinrai Boparai, the program has transformed him as a person.
“There are high expectations,” said Boparai. “It's obviously prestigious and hard to get into, but it's a very good experience. I've learned a lot of valuable stuff: networking, how to get along with people, and how to talk to business professionals.
“I've learned about marketing and graphic design. My facilitator, Kelly, has been a really big help with that. I usually am an introvert, so it's kind of hard for me to get out of my shell. This class has helped me open up and be willing to be more outgoing.”
McClain echoed Boparai’s sentiments about Kokomo CEO teaching them how to better communicate. She, too, feels she has grown through her participation in the program.
“Coming in, I wasn't really sure what to expect,” said McClain. “I knew I was going to meet business people and further my knowledge of business. But now that I've been through a semester and have experienced it, I really feel like I have grown as a person.
“I feel more comfortable talking in front of people. I feel more comfortable approaching someone and talking to them. The program has exceeded my expectations. I feel like I've experienced a lot of growth.”
For Lesko, Kokomo CEO is a stepping stone to his ultimate goal of owning and operating his own business. But he has found an unexpected depth in the program that he truly appreciates.
“I thought it was solely an entrepreneurship course, but after experiencing the first semester, that's really not what it is,” said Lesko. “It's also a life skills class. This might seem pretty simple, but we’re writing letters, learning how to format them. We’re learning what to say to people in conversations. It's truly a communications class as well.
“I would like to continue a career in entrepreneurship after this. If that's my personal business in the spring that blossoms into something bigger, that would be amazing. If not, this will be an amazing trial run to see what I need to do in the future to have a successful business.”