Ideas Don’t Matter with Steve Orlando

This month's episode of Entrepreneurial Mindset Project is a remarkable journey with special guest, Steve Orlando. As entrepreneurs ourselves, we were thrilled to reconnect with one of Gary’s first students from his early days of teaching entrepreneurship. Steve's story is nothing short of extraordinary. What began as a simple office cleaning business idea quickly transformed into a lucrative opportunity, allowing him to earn a staggering $40,000 while still in high school! Since then, Steve has gone on to create multiple thriving businesses, all starting with just a few hundred dollars. Join us as we share this incredible conversation with Steve Orlando, where we explore his unexpected paths to success. You won't want to miss the wisdom and inspiration that awaits you in this episode of our podcast.

NC IDEA Continues to Advance Statewide Entrepreneurial Mindset Program with NC IDEA MINDSET Grant

A program and statewide effort of the NC IDEA Foundation since 2019, NC IDEA MINDSET endeavors to bring the power of entrepreneurial thinking to North Carolinians through the deployment of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program. With the addition of the MINDSET Grant, NC IDEA can financially support organizations and certified facilitators in deploying IHEP to communities across the state.

Global Entrepreneurship Congress 2023

Hosted in a different rising entrepreneurial city each year, the Global Entrepreneurship Congress is four days of actionable intelligence, collaboration and collective action. It brings together thousands of voices, from more than 200+ countries to participate in creating one inclusive global ecosystem by networking, learning, and sharing. The theme of this year's GEC is Transform Your World and will take place in September in Melbourne, Australia.

Walking Across the Bridge to High School with an Entrepreneurial Mindset

At Perry Middle School in Perry, Ohio, students’ transition to high school is marked by a unique ceremony: They walk across the bridge between the two buildings to symbolize their advancement from one learning environment to the next. 

The district of 1,800 students started implementing entrepreneurship courses at the high school level six years ago. A group of teachers and administrators soon realized that younger students could benefit from a similar program. 

“We talked about how powerful it would be for eighth-graders to establish an entrepreneurial mindset before they walk across the physical bridge where administrators meet them and pass the torch,” said Bill Sarvis, the teacher who developed the high school’s entrepreneurship program.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Betty Jo Malchesky introduced Sarvis and his colleagues to the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program Middle School Edition. She had learned about it from Gary Schoeniger, Founder and CEO of the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative. Five teachers and staff received training in the model at the end of 2018, and Sarvis and his colleagues designed the first exploratory course.