Heritage Academy Students get an inside look at entrepreneurship

STARKVILLE, Miss. (WCBI)- Creating your own business or product is a dream for many people.

But Mississippi State is helping students chase their dreams and teach high schoolers how they can reach their goals.

Students at Mississippi State are taking the plunge into the Shark Tank pitching their business ideas and taking the steps to make their dreams a reality. And this time some local high schoolers went with them.

Starting your own business is a challenge, but the E Center at Mississippi State is providing students with the tools they need to meet that challenge.

“Tin this day where everybody has a smartphone or a laptop you can have the world really be the path to your door. From Columbus Mississippi, Starkville Mississippi, West Point Mississippi, anywhere so we have the technical tools, but we still have to try to teach the business piece of that if we can combine that and then keep these kids here we think we can do our part to combat brain drain,” said Jeffrey Rupp.

And Rupp wants to get students interested at a young age. To spark that interest Heritage Academy students had a chance to have hands-on experience with the entrepreneurial process.

“They’ve toured the E center. We thought it would be interesting if they sat in on the shark tank competition but more than that we gave them each $1000 of E center money, and they’re going to invest in our student startups as well, and we are actually going to give the heritage academy a winner some real money as well,” said Rupp.

By letting students be on the other side of the pitch, it let them see what investing could be like.

“At first I was kinda like that’s a lot of pressure because I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feelings because I know I’m gonna like an idea a lot more than another one, but it’s a good experience to be able to make that decision and see what you can relate to the most,” Anne Clark Shepherd.

The experience showed students that with the right drive they can do anything.

“If you can come up with a good idea and if you use your resources and ask around there’s probably somebody that can help you-you could put your ideas into action,” said Drew Knittig.

Rupp says local entrepreneurship can help the community thrive.

“We are proving it can be done in Mississippi not just with the students who you see today but also with past students who have set up shop here in Starkville and they are staying here, and they are creating jobs, but they are bringing in culture as well,” said Rupp.

The students who get their investments will move on to pitch in front of the Angel Network.