> News & Updates > Vilas County EDC & Northland Pines School District Form Entrepreneurship Education Program
Vilas County EDC & Northland Pines School District Form Entrepreneurship Education Program
Wednesday , Jun 04, 2025
VILAS COUNTY EDC & NORTHLAND PINES SCHOOL DISTRICT FORM ENTREPRENEURSHIP EDUCATION PROGRAM & SHARK TANK EVENT WITH GUEST SPEAKER MAY 20
Eagle River, WI., May 9, 2025…. The Vilas County Economic Development Corporation (VCEDC) and the Northland Pines School District (NPSD) have formed an Entrepreneurship Education Program designed to provide students with a foundation in business planning and formation, and to foster future economic growth.
Launched in February 2025, the program includes two separate week-long educational units per school year, including classroom instruction, expert guest speakers, hands-on business formation, and a “Shark Tank” style event in May for students to receive constructive feedback on their business plans from business experts. The Shark Tank event, to be held May 20, 2025, will include a prominent guest speaker.
The VCEDC NPSD Entrepreneurship Program uniquely positions Northland Pines as a leader in entrepreneurship education both regionally and nationally, going beyond typical extracurricular or one-off entrepreneurship events seen at other schools. This initiative fully integrates an immersive, structured entrepreneurship curriculum into classroom activities across multiple grade levels, providing students with sustained engagement and real-world entrepreneurial experience.
The topics covered during the week-long classroom instruction include Day 1 Business Idea Generation/Problem Solving; Day 2 Market Research; Day 3 Leadership Development; Day 4 Business Law; and Day 5 Finances. The purpose of the program is to inspire the next generation of Vilas County small business owners and entrepreneurs, provide them with practical knowledge about developing business plans and starting businesses, and, in the long term, encourage more young people to stay in Vilas County and become small business owners. Over 100 students taking business classes at Northland Pines High School benefited from this experience this past year, throughout the 2 sessions.
“The VCEDC NPSD Entrepreneurship Education Program will inspire the next generation of entrepreneurs, build connections between the small business community and students, and foster future economic growth and workforce development,” said Kathy Schmitz, Executive Director, VCEDC. “By equipping students with the skills and knowledge to develop business plans, understand market research, and navigate the legal and financial aspects of starting a business, the program will build a pipeline of future small business owners. The program opens-up entrepreneurship as a realistic career path so the students know when they’re ready, we have a welcoming, supportive environment for business in Vilas County.”
“This partnership with VCEDC allows students to engage with real business professionals and envision themselves as entrepreneurs. Watching a student walk away from our entrepreneurship day saying, ‘I want to pursue law now because of today’ is exactly why we do this,” said Jake Richards, Business Education Teacher at Northland Pines. “It’s more than a class—it’s mentorship, skill-building, and future planning all wrapped into one.”
Vilas County’s economy runs on small business, and new small businesses are vital to its long-term prosperity. More than ⅓ of the businesses in Vilas County employ four people or less, and 65% employ nine people or less. Between 2000-2020, the population of the age 17 and younger group declined from 20.7% to 16.5%. During the same period, the 65 and older age group increased from 22.8% to 31.1%.
“An aging population and a declining percentage of younger residents could negatively impact the labor force, school system, and tax revenues in the coming decades, unless we stem the tide now,” said Schmitz. “Investing in entrepreneurship education can help address this by fostering the next generation of business owners and job creators and giving them a vision of staying in Vilas County and starting their businesses here.”
Schmitz added, “We have a high caliber of local business expertise and have built a business-friendly community. Exposing young entrepreneurs to those leaders and that community will demonstrate what’s possible for them to start and grow their business here. This program introduces them to the people who will be their business mentors and partners in the future.”
The first VCEDC NPSD Entrepreneurship Week was held the week of February 24th. The second Entrepreneurship Week will be held the week of May 12th. Each day Monday – Friday a different business expert speaks to students in the classroom setting. A hallmark of the program is the strategic partnership facilitated by Kathy Schmitz, who coordinated an impressive roster of guest speakers. These professionals including Andi Gretzinger (SBDC), Erin McCormick (Peoples State Bank), Attorney Bill Keeler (Crivello, Nichols & Hall, S.C.), Patty Krarup (WealthManagement), and Jeff Larson (Entrepreneur Fund)—connect students to the real- world business community and serve as mentors and resources throughout the program. Their titles are below:
- Andrea Gretzinger, Business Consultant, Wisconsin Small Business Development Center-UW Stevens Point; & Entrepreneur
- Jake Richards, Business Education Teacher, NPSD
- Erin McCormick, Vice President, Peoples State Bank; & VCEDC Board Member
- William Keeler, Attorney, Crivello, Nichols & Hall, S.C.; & VCEDC Board Member
- Patty Krarup, Former Wealth Management Firm Owner; & VCEDC Board Member
- Jeff Larson, Business Developer, Entrepreneur Fund
Shark Tank Event Features Judging & Guest Speaker Business Leader Dick Leinenkugel
During the two week-long entrepreneurship sessions students developed posters detailing their business idea and plan. On May 20th, approximately 100 students across 7 different business classes who took part in the entrepreneurship weeks will display over 42 business ideas in the form of tri-fold posters in the atrium at Northland Pines High School for fellow students, teachers, invited guests, to review and vote for their favorite. Students who develop the top three business plans will present their ideas to a panel of business expert judges. The judges will then announce the top business plan, with each of the three presentations being recognized. The VCEDC will present a check to Northland Pines School District leadership in the amount of $1,000 for the school’s SkillsUSA program. The funding aims to offer tangible incentives for students to envision and plan their own small businesses.
Business leader Dick Leinenkugel, Past President and Chief Beer Merchant - Jacob Leinenkugel Brewing Company, a national/international company will be the featured speaker at the Shark Tank event discussing his family’s entrepreneurial journey. Leinenkugel, also a former Wisconsin Secretary of Commerce, resides in Eagle River and is actively engaged in Vilas County community activities.
The Shark Tank event will be held on Tuesday, May 20th, from 8:30 – 10:30 am at Northland Pines High School, 1800 Pleasure Island Rd, Eagle River, WI.
