Life Lessons From An Appalachian Entrepreneur With Dave Yeany

In this episode, Gary speaks with Dave Yeany, founder of Yeany’s Maple, a small but thriving maple syrup business located in Marienville, Pennsylvania. As a high school dropout, he spent the bulk of his career as a custodian at the local high school. But, he was always looking for ways to make extra money in his spare time. One day, he decided he would try to make maple syrup from scratch. With only a few borrowed taps, he figured out how to make his first batch. Today, he not only has a thriving business, but he is also making a huge impact in his community.

Innovations Conference

The Innovations Conference, now in its 26th year, is the foremost convening for professionals dedicated to improving and enhancing teaching and learning, leadership and management, and the community college experience. This international event provides a forum for collaboration among academic experts and thought leaders, while granting participants exclusive access to the most inventive and inspirational community college programs.

2023 Performance Improvement Conference

ISPI's flagship event, the Performance Improvement Conference, brings together the best and the brightest in the multi-disciplinary field of performance improvement to share the latest research, innovations, tools, and technologies. Conference attendees are passionate Human Performance thought leaders, technologists, product owners, developers, trainers and coaches, practitioners, and students and educators representing government, private industry, and academia. ELI President Rob Herndon will be presenting on Thriving in Times of Rapid Change with an Entrepreneurial Mindset.

Fueling Student Innovation and Growth with an Entrepreneurial Mindset

The St. Vrain Valley School District has been serious about STEM for years. But long before it built the state-of-the-art, 50,000-square-foot Innovation Center in 2018, Assistant Superintendent of Innovation Patty Quinones recognized that equipping students with a mindset that helped them pursue business opportunities was just as important as providing them with all the latest technology. 

That’s where Instructional Technologist Jeffrey Lund comes in. He has a background in both education and small business. Also, he has a passion for empowering students with an entrepreneurial mindset. They can discover opportunities to create value for others and design their own solutions.

Now 750 high schoolers from across the district’s 411-square-mile footprint in Longmont, Colorado, have access to scores of tools and resources at the Innovation Center. It houses a community maker space, studio, pitch room, incubator and enterprise zone. Additionally, they have multiple labs and collaboration spaces. For instance, a robotics lab with an underwater tank, drone and aerospace lab, and biomedical science lab. Plus, a wood shop, metal shop, and manufacturing lab, Apple Tech Lab, and more.