Brent Baker of Byron Bank named Community Champion for Byron High School’s; INCubatoredu Business Incubator Course

Byron Bank’s President, Brent Baker, has accepted the position of Community Champion for Byron High School’s upcoming INCubatoredu program.

In his role, Brent will work with INCubatoredu high school teacher Rich Wessel to generate support from the local community by connecting business leaders with the brand-new entrepreneurial program.

Commenting on his new role, Baker shared how important it is for him, as well as the entire Byron Bank organization, to support BHS and the students in this new program.

INCubatoredu is a significant course addition to the high school’s curriculum and an excellent learning experience for students at BHS.

The program offers students an entrepreneurial experience and empowers them to develop business plans with the guidance of local business owners and community leaders.

The course focuses on teaching the lean startup business model while developing skills professionals are looking for graduates to possess. The ultimate goal is to create a product, which could be invested in, and mass-produced.

Student teams create prototypes and pitch their ideas to investors at two different points during the school year. The course teaches students how to turn their ideas into reality and prepares them for life after high school.

This new program will debut at Byron High School for the 2023-24 school year and is currently in the process of revamping a computer lab into a modern collaborative workspace for students, mentors, and coaches to share ideas.

Wessel said, “I am absolutely thrilled to teach INCubatorEDU at Byron High School. Students will learn real world skills working in collaboration with community business owners and community leaders, experiences that help shape students’ future goals and aspirations. This is a true authentic learning experience”

The program is currently looking for business owners and business professionals to help mentor students’ teams, teach on specific entrepreneurial topics, and play a part on the “board of directors” during pitches.

If you would like more information on how you could become a part of the program, please contact Rich Wessel at [email protected].