What does it mean to be an entrepreneur?
Let me put it this way: If you like learning new things, taking risks, and mastering the process of turning your ideas into profitable businesses, then you could definitely call yourself an entrepreneur. It's all about creating something from nothing and having the drive and motivation to see it through. Being an entrepreneur isn't just having a cool idea, but building on that idea to develop a business people will want or need. In short, if you have what it takes to succeed in business and be responsible for your own enterprises, then congratulations – you're an entrepreneur!
About
Meet your mentor Jonathan Hinton
When I was in fifth grade, I found myself in the principal's office for running a 'money box' enterprise out of my desk. Every morning, I would take money from my lunch allowance and invest it in supplies from the school bookstore - things like pencils with logos of my favorite baseball team printed on them. I would then resell these items throughout the day to make a profit. This entrepreneurial streak continued into middle school, where I earned pocket money by trading comic books with classmates at the gym before classes began. ...
Read MoreWhat we teach high school entrepreneurs
Testing Your Idea
- What kind of market do you have?
- Who's Your Target Customer?
- How will you acquire the customer?
- How big is the opportunity (TAM)?
- Sizing Your Competition
Money Matters
- Estimating Capital Costs
- How can you raise capital?
- What about profits? Basics of a P&L
- Deep Dive into Unit Economics
- How to Scale for Growth
Nuts and Bolts of Getting Going
- Incorporation and Entities Overview
- Bank Accounts - the dos and don'ts of commingling funds
- Insurance - why it's needed and common policies
- Accounting Systems
- Taxes - various types, who pays & why?
We wrap up the teaching with nuggets of wisdom and inspirational stories from other guest speakers who have built large companies.
We finish our teaching with an annual competition
A winner is named at each Forsyth County high school, and each winner receives $10,000!
Fall 2025 winners
- Alliance Academy for InnovationHEPA OfficialSubha Sundaram
- Central ForsythScale UpHussain Syed & Anubhav Nagammanavar
- DenmarkPosts on PostSpencer Arnold
- East ForsythThe Precision LawncareAlexander Pearson
- LambertHolimYunus Shabandri & Yusuf Shabandri
- North ForsythNails by AliAli Fairchild
- South ForsythWorldLynkPranavanth Kasinaboyina
- West ForsythHigh School FirewoodJoseph Bray Holcomb