Not every Butler Tech story begins with an acceptance letter.
This summer, a new story began with a waitlist.
For the first time ever, Butler Tech hosted its inaugural Entrepreneurship Summer Camp, a three-day immersive experience created exclusively for students who had applied to Butler Tech but had not been selected through the admissions process. Rather than allowing those students to spend the summer wondering what could have been, Butler Tech chose to create an opportunity.
The goal was simple: create an opportunity and provide students with a true Butler Tech experience.
“We wanted these students and families to know that they matter to us,” said Jeremy West, Entrepreneurship Coordinator at Butler Tech. “Even if they don’t have the opportunity to attend Butler Tech this year, we wanted them to experience what makes our community special. Entrepreneurship isn’t just about starting businesses. It’s about helping young people believe their ideas matter and giving them the confidence to turn those ideas into action.”
From June 3-5, students gathered at the D. Russel Lee Campus, where ideas quickly turned into possibilities.
On the first day, many students arrived as strangers. Some were nervous. Some had never presented in front of others. But by the end of the week, those same students would be pitching original businesses in front of business leaders and family members at Miami University’s Farmer School of Business.
The camp began by teaching students how entrepreneurs think. Campers identified problems they cared about and used design thinking to transform those challenges into opportunities. As the week progressed, ideas became logos, brands, financial plans and professional presentations.
By the second day, the Entrepreneurship Center looked more like a radio station than a classroom.
JonJon and Friends from Kiss 107.1 brought a mobile studio directly to Butler Tech, broadcasting live from inside the Entrepreneurship Center. Students stepped behind the microphone to share their ideas with listeners across Greater Cincinnati, while JonJon interviewed campers and Jeremy West about the camp and Butler Tech’s mission. His enthusiasm transformed the day into an unforgettable experience and celebrated the creativity taking place inside the Entrepreneurship Center.
For one parent, the transformation they witnessed in their child was remarkable.
“This camp was so inspiring. My child came to camp terrified to present in front of others, and in three days they are pitching a product to Miami University and talking live on the air on KISS 107.1.”
Throughout the week, Butler Tech’s community partners rallied behind the camp with one shared vision: creating opportunities for students to discover what they are capable of.
Because access was a priority, Butler Tech wanted the experience to cost families nothing.
AVI Food Systems graciously provided lunch each day, ensuring students could focus on learning and creating without financial concerns. GS Marketing Proforma donated entrepreneurship t-shirts for every camper, giving students a sense of pride and belonging as they became part of Butler Tech’s entrepreneurial community.
The experience culminated on Friday through a partnership with Miami University.
Students spent the day at the Farmer School of Business, where faculty members guided them through business modeling and helped refine the ideas they had developed throughout the week. Families were invited to attend the camp’s culminating Shark Tank-style pitch competition, filling the room with excitement and anticipation as students prepared to take the stage.
And the ideas were impressive.
Students pitched businesses ranging from car detailing services and clothing brands to a redesigned gaming controller. The first-place prize went to Amaphia, whose innovative product combined a portable fan with a phone charger. Designed to attach to the back of a phone, the device not only keeps consumers cool on hot days but also helps prevent overheating while charging the device.
The results left even seasoned professionals inspired.
“Thank you for trusting us with your program and the pitch competition,” said Jeni Al Bahrani of Miami University. “It was a lot of fun, and I left inspired by what the students accomplished.”
Students themselves recognized just how much they had achieved in only three days.
“This experience was so impactful,” said one camper. “In three days, we literally created an entire business plan and presented it!”
What began as Butler Tech’s first-ever Entrepreneurship Summer Camp became something much bigger.
Students who started the week as strangers finished it as creators, collaborators and confident presenters. Parents watched their children overcome fears and discover new confidence. Community partners invested their time and resources to ensure opportunity was available to every family.
The camp became a community effort, with educators, businesses and families coming together around one shared belief: young people deserve opportunities to discover what they are capable of.
And perhaps most importantly, students who had been placed on a waitlist discovered that they were never placed on the sidelines.
They were welcomed into the Butler Tech family and given an opportunity to explore their ideas, develop new skills and discover what they were capable of achieving.
The inaugural Entrepreneurship Summer Camp proved that access matters, experiences matter and sometimes the greatest impact comes from creating opportunities for students to discover their passion, build confidence and turn ideas into action.
Three days.
Countless ideas.
New confidence.
And for Butler Tech, just the beginning.
