Sat 4/30 @ 11AM-6PM
EntrovationCLE is the vision of 43 senior students from the 2015-2016 marketing program at Beachwood High School under the direction of teacher Greg Perry. The marketing program is a college Tech Prep course through Excel TECC — a consortium of students from eight different schools: Beachwood, Brush, Mayfield, Solon, Chagrin Falls, Aurora, West Geauga and Orange. In collaboration with City of Beachwood Community Services Director Karen Carmen, who is also the Beachwood Junior Achievement adviser, the class operates efficiently as a business throughout the school year.
Now in its third year, EntrovationCLE builds off the concept of the Green Dream Eco-Friendly Showcase, which was recognized as Ohio’s largest eco-friendly showcase. Through strategic school-business partnerships and with the proceeds from Entrovation, the students have built an innovative classroom and school-based enterprise. The students operate the class as a business and are recognized as the “World’s Most Successful Junior Achievement Company.” The change of name to EntrovationCLE reflects the student’s tremendous pride in Cleveland. (The group added the CLE this year.)
In the past, EntrovationCLE has attracted more than 170 business exhibitors and 5,000 attendees. The event is a free one-day showcase, presenting out-of-the-box ideas, products and services by connecting today’s most innovative entrepreneurs, organizations and businesses with thousands of engaged consumers.
With food trucks, shopping and an extensive raffle, EntrovationCLE is a family-friendly event. A portion of the proceeds will be benefiting Youth Outdoors through the Cleveland Metroparks. Youth Outdoors provides outdoor adventure recreation experiences for youth who live in the City of Cleveland to promote personal growth, responsibility to community and a relationship with nature.
There will be 50 Northeast Ohio middle school, high school and college entrepreneurs from 27 schools, along with their products and businesses, featured in the Young Entrepreneur Market. A new addition this year to EntrovationCLE, the Young Entrepreneur Market is a partnership with University School’s Young Entrepreneur Institute and sponsored by the Burton D. Morgan Foundation.
Emily Dugovics, a 2009 graduate of this marketing program, is now an EntrovationCLE exhibitor. “Being on the “other side of the booth” feels incredibly rewarding because I know exactly how the students putting on the event feel. I know all the time and effort they’ve put into this and how hard they work to get the vendors and the exposure that they do. The class taught me more than I could have imagined in regards to the business world as a whole,” she says.
Entrovation is at Beachwood High School (25100 Fairmount Blvd., Beachwood), Saturday April 30th from 11am-6pm.