New science teacher Percival Baretto-Ko has launched the first-ever entrepreneurship-based elective at Branson this year, providing juniors and seniors with a chance to dive into the business world.
Entrepreneurship Lab (e-Lab) is a semester-long course aimed at immersing students in the process of creating a business in a small, collaborative class environment.
Baretto-Ko’s background in entrepreneurship guides the way he teaches this course.
“The way I teach entrepreneurship is really inspired by my experience. For me, it’s really about linking it [to] real life,” Baretto-Ko said.
As the former President and CEO of biotech company Plexium, Baretto-Ko has first-hand experience in the business industry.
“Entrepreneurship is… not a profession or a career, but rather how you view the world,” he said. “It is a way of asking, ‘Can I do this better?’”.
eLab is structured into six modules: Introduction to Entrepreneurship, Ideation and Innovation, Product and Brand Development, Creation of a Business Plan, The Art of Negotiation and Persuasion, and The Launch.
“It’s called ‘eLab’ because it’s meant to be really a practical approach to entrepreneurship,” Baretto-Ko said.
Students in the e-Lab course recently learned how to brainstorm business ideas, and at the start of every class, students share at least one new idea for a product or service. The open-ended activities in this class allow students to pursue ideas that correlate to their own interests. Ideas have ranged from paper-grading artificial intelligence to potential improvements on Blackbaud.
Senior Wilson Wendt said, “Everyone is taking [the class] in a different [direction]. I’m really passionate about baseball, and so a lot of my innovative thinking is about baseball.”
Wendt is one of six students enrolled in the class, as it was capped at six for the fall semester. The class size was made intentionally small to create a highly collaborative and interactive environment. Students will engage in case studies, roundtable discussions, field visits, and experimental workshops.
Senior Cayman Stein said, “The small class size allows us… to really get to know each other. It’s created a very chill, discussion-based environment that’s different from your typical academic class.”
On Tuesday, October 3, the six student entrepreneurs will practice public speaking and delivery skills by holding a presentation on what they perceive to be Branson’s strengths and weaknesses for Head of School Chris Mazzola.
“I’m really excited to take what we’ve learned and apply it to real life,” said Wendt. “I’m also looking forward to Ms. Mazzola’s reactions to some of our ideas about campus improvements, like adding a pool.”
Baretto-Ko plans to bring in founders of startup companies and venture capitalists who invest in startups to talk to the class. He also intends to take the students to visit a business incubator, a space where entrepreneurs can access resources to help develop their startup companies.
“The incubator will help [students] really see the vibe [of the business world], and also make sure that they realize it’s not all sexy,” Baretto-Ko said.
After gaining insight from experienced entrepreneurs and polishing their business plans, each student will pitch their ideas to a diverse panel of veteran entrepreneurs.
Baretto-Ko said, “It’s a very efficient pitch because it’s a competitive environment. There’s a lot of work that goes into [the pitch].”
Although the delivery of the final product marks the end of the course, the new elective’s focus is less on the business idea and more on the learning process.
“I want [students] to really find themselves in saying, ‘Yes, I am an entrepreneur,’” Baretto-Ko said.
