A business incubator of a different sort
Kokomo CEO gives high schoolers the foundation to become entrepreneurs
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Kyan Gamble hopes to one day take over his family’s business. Carson Parrott plans on creating a car soap and building a business around it. Ava Williamson wants to learn what it takes to be an entrepreneur.
These youth are part of Kokomo CEO, a program designed to connect students with local leaders and to teach them the skills needed to start a business. There are 19 students in the current cohort receiving real-life experience to become entrepreneurs.
“We’ve all been in it since August,” said Kokomo CEO student Andrew Ryan. “You apply by writing an essay and taking a survey. And then your application is reviewed by a board. If you are selected, you get to join the class.”
“The selection process is completely unbiased,” added Parrott. “Your name, your school, your grade – everything is hidden from the judges. It is fair to all students from Kokomo, Western, Northwestern, Eastern, Taylor, Lewis Cass, and Tri-Central. The 10 judges review the essays and applications and decide who is in the class.”
Gamble was excited to be selected for the program because of what it means for his future. A Kokomo High School senior who intends to become an electrician, Gamble wants to take the skills he is learning in Kokomo CEO and one day lead the family business, J & J Electric.
“I wanted to expand my knowledge in business,” said Gamble. “I have family in the business world, and I wanted to acquire knowledge so I can follow in their footsteps. I hope to take over the business at some point.
“In Kokomo CEO, I’m learning networking, communication – it is building me to be a better person. It’s not just about business. The environment has changed us.”
Williamson also considers participation in Kokomo CEO a family affair.
“My sister was in Kokomo CEO, as was my cousin,” said Williamson. “I heard all the great things they said about the program, and I wanted to expand my knowledge in business and really get myself out there in the community.”
Kokomo CEO meets in the mornings five days a week over the course of the school year. It is a class that earns credits toward high school graduation, but it has a facilitator rather than a teacher. And it meets in local businesses and board rooms instead of a classroom.
“We have speakers from the business world almost every week,” said Ryan. “While we are working on the CEO Summit, it’s about getting the work done. But in a normal time when we don’t have a big project, we have a speaker about once a week, or we go visit a business.
“There have been a couple speakers I have really liked. They were pretty good. And as far as business visits go, I think Kokomo Opalescent Glass was pretty cool. I had been there on a school field trip before, but with Kokomo CEO, we got the full tour. We got to learn about every aspect of the business, how it runs.”
Kylie Irwin applied for Kokomo CEO to learn what it takes to be a good entrepreneur. What she has discovered is that business skills are also people skills.
“You should expect a lot of teamwork, a lot of communication,” said Irwin. “And know that everyone will get upset at some point. There will be a lot of different personalities in the class, and not everyone will get along. But at the end of the day, we are all a team.
“Whether it is one person or a group of people involved in the conflict, you sit down and talk through it with them.”
Parrott agreed that conflict resolution is a skill the participants learn naturally through the Kokomo CEO process. And successfully utilizing that skill can be very rewarding.
“You may make someone upset, but that moment when you talk through it and come to an agreement, that’s a really good feeling,” said Parrott. “The most important thing that has stuck with me is being able to properly communicate with someone and give them positive criticism.
“And learning from others. Our facilitator, Brandon Bishop, pushes that we communicate how we feel, no matter what. By listening to others and communicating how I feel, I have created some really great relationships with the 19 individuals in the class.”
The ultimate goal of Kokomo CEO is to have the participants take what they learn over the course of the year and apply that knowledge to create a business of their own. That process will begin after the CEO Summit concludes, and Parrott is excited to start developing a business.
“I’m hoping to create an all-organic detailing soap for the exterior of a car,” said Parrott. “I grew up around cars. My dad has been in the car business for 35 years. Outside of doing things around the sport I play, cars are second nature to me.
“Staying true to that and finding an organic soap that won’t break down, crack, or chip paint is something that I want to do.”
Does Kokomo CEO work? Many of the nearly 160 alumni from the program have started their own businesses. Some found success; others are still searching for it. And some of them give back to the program that gave them their start.
At next week’s CEO Summit, organized by the students, two graduates of the program will be lending their expertise. And every class since 2016 has signed on as annual $1,000 sponsors of Kokomo CEO. The students support the program, and they are eager to encourage others to apply for the course.
“I would tell them about all the benefits Kokomo CEO brings,” said Ryan. “In the short time we have been here, we went from having no idea how a business works to learning professional skills and how businesses run. It benefits outweigh any small negatives there might be. It’s just a good experience in general.”
Applications are now being accepted to join the 2024 Kokomo CEO class. Interested students should visit www.kokomoceo.com to begin their application. The deadline for application submission is Feb. 3.