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Entrepreneurism Students Pitch Community Enhancements

The Global Entrepreneurism Program hosted its third annual symposium on May 11. On display were student ideas to enhance Chatham Hall, the Chatham community, and the wider world.
“Throughout the pitches, there was a lot of variation in terms of personality, focus, idea, and presentation, and that’s what entrepreneurial thinking is all about. It’s being able to inspire an individual to see a need, come up with a plan to address that need, and then to be able to think about all of the steps that are necessary to be able to make that happen,” said Beth Barskdale, director ​​of entrepreneurship.

After a program overview by Barksdale, the symposium kicked off with a slate of presentations regarding the Town of Chatham. Allison Faulds ’22 presented a commercial for Captain Scoop’s, a mobile ice cream business that would be based in Chatham parks. Ellie Larsen ’22 pitched a renovation of Hallam Hurt Park, while Raifah Alam ’22, Kensington Nelson ’22, and Carolyn Whatley ’23 discussed the beautification of the town of Chatham through power washing.

A food theme was evident in the proposals of Dora Mendoza ’22 who sought greater investment in the School’s student-run Bite of the World food cart; the idea of Chill and Joy, a yogurt shop that would hire employees with disabilities, by Maddie Jackson ‘23 and Nuura Abdilaahi ’23; and Chatham’s Most Wanted, a market, bakery, and boutique proposed by Sam Richey ’22 and Lucia Stoneman ’22. Tina Zhang ’23 and Tiffany Wu ’23 also discussed the evolution of Speedy Snacks. 

Activities dominated the remainder of the symposium with Velda Asare ’22 presenting on Holistic Fitness, a fitness and nutrition center implemented in the heart of Chatham; Christine Leak ’22 discussing Y2K Lanes, a 2000s themed bowling alley located on Main Street in Chatham; and Whitley Younger ’24 proposing The Lounge, an arcade and bowling alley located in the old movie theater in Chatham.

“This class has helped a lot with public speaking and speaking to other people. It’s also helped me to learn what it means to be an entrepreneur,” noted Velda Asare ‘22. “We think about problems and social issues and you realize that there are so many problems that can be fixed and there are so many ideas that can be beneficial to everybody in the community.”

See pictures of the student presentations on the School's SmugMug.
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800 Chatham Hall Circle  •  Chatham, VA 24531
+1 434.432.2941  •  admissions@chathamhall.org
Day and boarding school for girls grades 9-12 in the Episcopal tradition.

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