Ready for their pitch: Streator Area CEO program hosts trade show May 19 at Eastwood

Streator Area CEO students have been preparing 10 months for at least 30 seconds of your time.

Students from Streator and Woodland high schools will be making their business pitches 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 19, during their trade show under the outdoor tent at the Eastwood, 2000 Eastwood Ave.

The class in its first year has 11 students, and it’s geared to help develop future entrepreneurs, while making meaningful, long-lasting connections between those students and the businesses in their community.

Throughout the course of the school year, students have been visited by guest speakers from all walks of the business world and students have taken field trips to other successful businesses across the region, networking with leaders and collecting their advice.

A “Banker Day” was conducted for students to speak with experts about their business plans and the finances for their projects.

The students’ work has culminated into one final project: start a business venture and pitch it to the public.

Addi Ramon created Corey’s Candles. She said she’s made 60 of her products in a two-week period to prepare for the trade show.

Students are provided $300 each in preparation for the trade show.

“I think I’m ready,” said Ramon, a junior at Streator High. “I’ve gotten a lot of help from (instructor) Mr. (Kirk) Melody and the board on how to put it all together.”

CEO student and Woodland High senior Sean Bundy created a lawn-mowing company called Greater Greens and he said he’s been crafting his one-minute, and 30-second pitch for the trade show. Students will set up their own booths at the trade show for attendees to walk around and visit whatever business they like.

“The idea is to get them to buy whatever we’re selling,” Bundy said.

The program — created by Teutopolis school teacher Craig Lindvahl before being taken in and promoted by Midland States Bank under the Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship moniker, where it has grown to 56 CEO programs nationwide including 2,225 students from 229 schools — is funded entirely by donations from area businesses.

“Students have put in a lot of work developing business concepts and this is their chance to show off,” said Streator High Superintendent Matt Seaton. “It will all be on display for the community in the trade show.”

Board member Ken Beutke said students have gotten an extra bit of education in taking the class during the pandemic. He said businesses have shared their challenges during COVID-19, and the students themselves have had to work through those challenges as well.

“It’s a little added life lesson how businesses are getting through the pandemic, and they’re learning the skill of how to make those adjustments, because nothing is ever going to work out 100% smoothly,” said Beutke, a healthcare executive.

The CEO program’s board members also are excited the business leaders who donated to make the program a reality will get a chance to see the program they are investing in. The program had 42 investors in the Streator and Woodland districts area.

While the students may or may not start their own business in town, they are gaining business skills that will be valuable to the community’s workforce should they decide to stay in Streator. The networking that took place also may have opened some eyes, Beutke added.

“They may not have realized what’s out there within our own community career-wise, or business-wise,” he said. “They may see new opportunities that are right here.”

The class is expected to grow to 19 students next school year, Seaton said.

“They are learning lessons they will be able to take anywhere they go in their life,” added board member Theresa Muntz, of Accounting, Tax and Business Services, Inc.

Braxton Mushimba, a junior at Streator High, will be telling attendees about his internet and mobile device consulting and computer services business. Mushimba said he’s “grown a lot” from the class, developing organizational skills and time management.

“I’ve always wanted to work on my own business,” he said. “This class really showed what you can do with your ideas.”