On Monday, May 4th, our district celebrated the entrepreneurial spirit of our students at the Boom KY Pitch Competition. This exciting event brought together middle and high school students to showcase their innovative business ideas to a panel of local business owners and community leaders.
About the Boom KY Program
Boom KY, through the BoomEdu framework, is dedicated to transforming regional economic trajectories by empowering the next generation of local entrepreneurs. The program focuses on:
Talent Retention: Encouraging students to build companies in their hometowns.
Real-World Skills: Moving beyond textbook theory to help students develop market-ready skills, launch products, and achieve real customer validation.
Economic Impact: Creating a "Capital Loop" where revenue is reinvested as seed capital into local student ventures to build sustainable growth within the community.
Bringing the Graduate Profile to Life
This competition was a powerful demonstration of our BCPS Graduate Profile, which outlines the six core competencies we strive for every student to embody. Throughout the event, our students proved they are:
Innovative Problem Solvers: By identifying community needs and developing creative business solutions.
Effective Communicators: Confidently pitching their ideas and answering tough questions from the judges.
Self-Directed Navigators: Taking ownership of their business journeys and managing the complex steps of a professional pitch.
Productive Collaborators: Working in teams to refine their models and presentations.
The Winners' Circle
The day was filled with energy as students made their pitches, many entering to their own custom "walk-out" music to set the stage. A total of $5,000 in prize money was awarded to help these young entrepreneurs turn their dreams into reality.
High School: Five pitches were delivered by students from North Bullitt and Bullitt East High Schools. The top high school winner received $2,500, while four other finalists were each awarded $500 to further their business adventures.
Middle School: Four pitches were presented by students from Mt. Washington Middle and Bernheim Middle Schools. The middle school winner walked away with $500 to support their start-up.
Congratulations to our winners:
Bourbon City Bins: Will Egan, Gavyn Fenwick, Devan Boyer, Edward Hettel
Beef FR Jerky: Sam Coomes & Josh Reed
Recognizing Our Community Partners
This event would not have been possible without the support of the Boom KY team and our dedicated panel of judges who volunteered their time and expertise to mentor our students. We would like to extend a special thank you to:
The Judges Panel:
Alex Mencken (Clear Choice Insurance)
Megan Rutledge (To A Tee - Custom Printed Apparel)
Jose Cubero (Mayor, City of Shepherdsville)
Gina Weber (Bullitt County Public Schools)
Kayly Norris (Bullitt County Chamber of Commerce)
Mike Ekbundit (GE Appliances)
Dylan Curry (Allure Capital)
The Boom KY Team: For their leadership and commitment to providing these life-changing opportunities for our students.
Moving Forward
As we look toward the future, BCPS remains committed to "Moving Forward" by creating authentic, community-connected learning experiences. This competition is just one example of how we are evolving our schools to ensure every graduate is not just college and career ready, but truly life ready. By fostering these powerful community partnerships, we are not just teaching business, we are intentionally inspiring and equipping our students with the competencies defined in our Graduate Profile to ensure they succeed in life.