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The IUPUI BOSS Summer Entrepreneurship Camp is a one-week, hands-on opportunity for high school students to learn about small business ownership as a career, gain the confidence to start their own businesses, and earn investment funding too! The IUPUI BOSS (Business Opportunities for Self-Starters) Camp, is a partnership between the IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis, and the IU Herron School of Art + Design in Indianapolis.
The 2023 BOSS Camp was hosted on the IUPUI campus from June 5 – June 9, with 24 students participating from four high schools: Arsenal Tech, Crispus Attucks, George Washington, and Herron-Riverside. BOSS students ranged in age from incoming freshmen to graduating seniors.
At IUPUI BOSS Camp, IPS high school students learned how to vision, research, plan, market, price products, and budget for their business from Kelley School of Business faculty. Herron School of Art + Design instructors provided guidance on product design, branding, and prototyping products. Local small business owners and experts met with the BOSS students to share first-hand information and real-world advice.
According to Teresa Bennett, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Community Engagement, “IUPUI BOSS not only teaches business skills; BOSS encourages students to think like entrepreneurs, community advocates, and problem-solvers – with the confidence to try (and sometimes fail) at new things. Our instructors, mentors, and community partners help the students realize that they can use their business ideas to build their neighborhoods and make lasting change in their communities.”
Recognizing that everyone’s journey is unique, BOSS Camp emphasized that business start-up skills, including creative problem-solving, critical thinking, responsibility, communication, teamwork, professionalism, and research, are transferable regardless of where their careers take them.
During BOSS Camp, students earn a salary stipend of $375 that they can use to invest in their business. They also had the opportunity to earn additional funding on Pitch Day by presenting their ideas to judges from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation, Fifth-Third Bank, IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis, and School of Business & Economics at IU East.
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Congratulations to the winners of the 2023 IUPUI BOSS Camp Pitch! A special thank you to our funders and sponsors: Fifth-Third Bank, IPS Foundation, Governors Workforce Cabinet, IUPUI Office of Community Engagement, IU Kelley School of Business in Indianapolis, and Herron School of Art + Design in Indianapolis.
2023 BOSS Pitch Awards
First place ($100): Katherine Bautista for her business: Charm & Shine, The Touch You Need
Second place ($75): Verenice Romero & Julissa Zuniga for their business: Sweet Delights
Third place ($50): Isabella Ochoa Vargas for her business: Shampoo Kitty Angel
Audience Choice Award ($100): Aisha Ahmed and Jakyra for their business: Jewelry Chic
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Launched in 2019 IUPUI BOSS Camp is based on the successful BOSS initiative developed by Tim Scales, School of Business & Economics at IU East.
For more information, contact Teresa Bennett at tkbennet@iu.edu.