Jeff Helfrich, Editor-in-Chief
BYRON — Byron High School’s new entrepreneurship program has created a small business startup called WeAreWorkers, founded by students Westin Harol and Ole Wolfe.
WeAreWorkers aims to improve workplace morale for local businesses by providing customized appreciation boxes aimed at showing employees that their efforts are appreciated. Each box is tailored to your business and includes a variety of gifts and treats to show appreciation and recognition for your employees’ hard work.
Harol, a junior at BHS, said he got the idea after hearing his father, a union foreman, talk about employee outreach.
“He recognized that sometimes we felt like we weren’t valued,” Harol said. “Then I got this idea: What if we conveyed our gratitude in some way to help them feel better about their company? That way, they would feel more appreciated. Our first product is called the Essentials Box, which contains things like chopsticks, hand sanitizer, and tissues that you need to hand out to your employees to thank them for their work. It contains a small message along with the company’s branding.
Among the companies WeAreWorkers works with is Dos Amigos, whose boxes were delivered by Harrolle and Wulf on April 29th. Gift cards and snacks can also be placed in the box. WeAreWorkers talks with companies about what they want to put in the boxes, and the startup buys and packages the products.
In the BHS Entrepreneurship Program, students are tasked with identifying real-world problems and developing innovative solutions through entrepreneurship. This course is taught by the icubatoredu program and also allows students to earn college credit.
Wolf, a sophomore at BHS, is an exchange student from Germany. He said the class helped him learn more about American business culture.
“I learned a lot,” Wolf said. “We learned about the global business world. That process is the most fun part. We started with nothing and now we have a product that we can sell. That journey is the most fun. It is.”
Harol and Wolf want to continue their business after classes are over. Once Wolff returns to Germany, there is a possibility that it will be operated around the world.
On May 1, the Entrepreneurship Program held a shark tank event where students pitched their ideas in front of investors. For the best pitches, this process resulted in a check for new business.
“This class was amazing,” Harol said. “Even if you don’t want to pursue entrepreneurship in your future, you can still learn a lot of good lessons from this class. Develop your human skills by practicing pitching in front of investors.” It made me want to be entrepreneurial in the future. I learned a lot from this class. It helped us get out of our comfort zone. We talked to seven companies. And it’s just an idea that we created in this class. We put a lot into it. Until we took this class, we did something like this. I never thought it would happen. This class really opened up my thinking.”
Rich Wessel, an instructor in the BHS Entrepreneurship course, praised the work of Harol, Wolf, and the other students in the class. This class is in its first year. He enjoys watching kids step out of their comfort zones and see their ideas grow.
Other student businesses in the class include KidTrip, an Uber-like service that safely takes kids to a variety of activities, and KJK Woodburning, which makes signs out of reusable materials.
“It’s going well,” Wessel said. “These kids are learning soft skills that many students lack. Before I taught, I was in the business world, and the ability to stand up in front of people, share information, and communicate. That’s why we started this program. They learn intangible skills. They get ahead in the workplace with readiness skills. They’re going to have an advantage. We’re going to learn together how new this class is. This first year, it’s about the work that the students do, the effort that they put into it. It definitely exceeded my expectations in terms of what I got out of it.”
Community leaders and businesses are participating in the program. Community members serve as mentors for students, offering strategic advice and some even helping with funding. Wessel said it helped the program reach new heights.
BHS wants to instill an entrepreneurial spirit in its students with a new program.
“Traditionally, education in general has been about preparing students for college,” Wessel said. “And I don’t think that’s necessarily the complete message. The ability to be valuable in the marketplace in any way is important. This program will help them get into college if they choose, but , it also teaches grit and hard work. It will help even those who are not thinking about college. That’s fine and you can become a valuable person in the market without college. If you put in the time and effort, you can succeed.”
