Record 15 Riv-Ell Students Pitch Business Plans

A record 15 high school seniors profiting from a yearlong Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship Program pitched business plans April 25 that impressed Ellwood City area leaders and in pursuit of graduating from Butler County Community College on May 15 with a 16-credit workplace certificate funded by donors.

The 11 Lincoln and four Riverside seniors in 2023-2024 represent the largest group to seek the post-secondary credential in a 6-year-old program that combines academic coursework with practical experiences.

Riv-Ell is a collaboration between BC3 and Ellwood City area businesses. Private contributions to the BC3 Education Foundation fund tuition, fees and books.

Graduates earn a BC3 workplace certificate in entrepreneurship. The program’s curriculum prepares students to create a plan to launch or enhance a business.

Business plan presentations represent Riv-Ell’s capstone project and require a concept, mission statement, logo, research of starting costs, identification of competition and of a target market, and strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats.

Ideas unveiled before more than 30 spectators April 25 in the Lincoln High School library included scented items to assist hunters, food trucks, traveling boutiques, educational applications and special-service funeral homes.

Brooke Dougherty, a senior at Riverside High School and student in the 2023-2024 Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship Program, presents her business plan to more than 30 spectators Thursday, April 25, 2024, in the library of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City.

“These students do a wonderful job”

“I’ve come to see the presentations for a couple of years, and these students do a wonderful job,” said Dennis Boariu, a former board member of the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce and a board member of the Ellwood City Wolves Club. “They are not just ready for college, they are in college. I am impressed by their presentations, their level of detail.

“And then at the end, they can defend. There is no hesitation. They know their product. They know what they are selling, and they can answer any questions that may come to them after the fact.”

Raymond Santillo is the former executive director of the Ellwood City Area Chamber of Commerce.

He and other spectators observed presentations from Lincoln’s Kaci Barnett, Madelyn Carner, Nicholas Franitti, Sidney Gibbons, Aydin Kline, Madison Long, John Lorenc, Alexis McClean, Claire Noble, Ryan Turner and Talan Young; and from Riverside’s Jax Bender, Brooke Dougherty, Brooklyn Gruber and Ciera Koller.

“One of the best I have seen”

The Riv-Ell students plan futures in accounting, business analysis, data analysis, entrepreneurship, fashion merchandising, finance, mathematics or real estate.

“This group,” Santillo said, “was one of the best I’ve seen. They really believed in their presentations. You could tell that by their talks.”

Six Riv-Ell students in 2019, 10 in 2020 and eight in 2023 earned a BC3 workplace certificate in entrepreneurship.

The credential, said James Frank, the college’s assistant director of high school programs, “demonstrates an ability to understand the business environment and what it takes to be successful.”

“I never really thought it would be possible for me, especially in high school, so young, to learn so much about entrepreneurship,” Dougherty said.

Jax Bender, a senior at Riverside High School and student in the 2023-2024 Riv-Ell Entrepreneurship Program, presents his business plan to more than 30 spectators Thursday, April 25, 2024, in the library of Lincoln High School in Ellwood City.

“It really does set us apart”

Riv-Ell, established in 2018, was suspended from fall 2020 to spring 2022 with regard to COVID-19.

It is among BC3’s College Within the High School opportunities in seven western Pennsylvania counties that this spring have attracted an all-time high of 563 students pursuing transferrable BC3 credits free or at a reduced cost, according to Frank.

Riv-Ell is also the only of BC3’s high school programming opportunities that results in a credential, according to Amy Pignatore, the college’s dean of admissions and the college registrar.

BC3’s workplace certificate in entrepreneurship “is an incredible thing,” Barnett said. “I think it really sets me apart from what other students may have. They may have credits from BC3, but not a certificate. It really does set us apart from everyone else.”

Riv-Ell students take BC3 courses in financial literacy, introduction to entrepreneurship, marketing, speech and business plan development at Lincoln and Riverside high schools, and at the Ellwood City Public Library. They take a BC3 general psychology course online, and also visit Ellwood City area business leaders to gain insight.

“You can see from the presentations,” said Sara Rectenwald, Riv-Ell facilitator, “that each student was taking from each of the classes and experiences that they have had to build these business plan presentations.”

Front row, from left, Lincoln’s Talan Young, Ryan Turner, Nicholas Franitti and Aydin Kline. Second row, from left, Lincoln’s Claire Noble and Kaci Barnett; Riverside’s Jax Bender, Brooklyn Gruber and Ciera Koller; Lincoln’s Madison Long, Madelyn Carner, Alexis McClean, Sidney Gibbons and John Lorenc; and Riverside’s Brooke Dougherty.

Students since the fall visited Core 3 Group, the Ellwood City Forge, Ellwood Ice, Happy Tails Pet Hotel & Daycare, McElwain Brothers Paint and Collision Center, Posies by Patti, Sidetracks Board Game Club, Smokin’ Dave’s BBQ, Untangled Hair Studio by Zoe, Wendydae Handmade and WXED-FM, Rectenwald said.

Financial contributors to the Riv-Ell program have included Air Physical Fitness, Armstrong Group, James Hrabosky, Ellwood City Wolves Club, First National Bank of Pennsylvania, Half Pint Kids, May Emma Hoyt Foundation, Hungarian Home, IPSCO Tubulars, Debra McElwain, Frank McElwain, Helen McElwain, McElwain Brothers, Dr. Nick Neupauer and Tammy Neupauer, Richard Painter, Raymond Santillo and WesBanco Bank.

“It is amazing what they do for us,” Barnett said. “They are incredible supporters. I hope one day that I can give back the way they gave to us and be able to support my community in the way that they do.”

Added Lorenc, who plans to enroll at BC3 in the fall to study business: “I am so happy that they were able to contribute, to give us a chance to show them that we could do this. …

“These presentations showed that their money was well-spent. Earning a BC3 certificate would mean everything to me. It would show that I had the confidence, that I was able to do it and that I earned it through my hard work.”

Santillo agreed.

“It is money well-spent,” he said. “Fifteen kids getting 16 free credits. That’s one-eighth of their college career. This is a big partnership with BC3.”

Barnett, Koller, Lorenc and Noble are 17 years old. The rest of their Riv-Ell classmates are 18.

Bender, Dougherty, Gibbons, Long, Turner and Young also served the Ellwood City community April 20 as volunteers who painted faces, or judged or participated in a Trashion Show during Lawrence County Earth Day in Ewing Park, Ellwood City.