In the years since the emergence of the startup trend, companies with small staff and massive seed funding have become synonymous with Silicon Valley and disrupting already-existing markets. For at least a handful of students, startups are disrupting the classroom as school officials look to the concept to teach kids the ins and outs of starting and maintaining a business.
On Jan. 31, Martinsville High School hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony, following a soft launch in the fall, to commemorate the opening and unexpected success of Stitchify, a T-shirt company founded and operated by Martinsville High School students.
Stitchify creates T-shirts with original designs created by the students. Doing much of their work during and after school, the team of four can create individual shirts or bulk orders. One of their clients, the New College Institute, currently has an order in for 200 shirts.
“We wanted to do something different than every student here,” said Niikko Dews, 17, one of the company’s founders along with Bryan Amaya Turcios, 16; Jonathan Sanabia, 17; and Nevaeh Norman, 17. “No one has a clothing business so we decided to make that.”
Stitchify is one of two startups created by students. It is part of the school’s Students Exploring Meaning Impact, or SEMI, internship program. Now in its second year, SEMI is meant to connect students with programs related to their chosen career path.
The Kennel, Stitchify’s sister business that opened last fall, is a sort of convenience store for teachers on break. It was created by four other students from the city’s middle and high schools.
The philosophy behind both projects is to give business students a crash course in all aspects of entrepreneurship. According to Shauna Hines, career and technical education coordinator for Martinsville Public Schools, the startups teach lessons that might be difficult to convey in traditional classroom environments.
“These are school-based enterprises,” Hines said. “Students can, they are capable, they are able to run a business on their own.”
Hines, who oversees both startups, treats the projects with a largely hands-off approach, which she says empowers students to run the businesses their own way.
“Our vision was to build a student-run clothing business that gives young entrepreneurs the chance to express their skills,” Niikko said, adding that he and the others have skills in design. “Stitchify is something that will allow me to go and pursue my goals. It’s teaching me to run a business by myself.”
The school raised its own funds to start Stitchify and Kennel, according to Hines, who said neither startup depended on grants or any other outside funding. With seed funding of around $700, Stitchify had an original end-of-year profit goal of $3,000. It is now reporting around $15,600 in sales.
“All the money is going toward one common cause,” Hines said, specifying that the funds are used to reinvest in the businesses. While students don’t keep the profits, they do get course credit. “Everything they want they earned. They worked for it. When an idea came up, we would talk about it. They are learning so much, and I’m so proud of them.”
Bryan said the project is about building confidence in their skills as a designer and businesspeople.
“Our mission is to … guide our students through making ideas for different people,” he said.
Everything from the design and creation of the product, to resource management, to identifying necessary equipment is handled by the students. Students purchased new printers and equipment, as they were needed, by reinvesting in the business.
It’s the hope of all involved that Stitchify will continue years into the future, after the first crop of students graduates. To that end, Hines said students are interviewing peers who want to participate in the project.
“I think it’s incredible,” said Sharon Shepherd, deputy director of the Henry-Martinsville Chamber of Commerce. “Talking to the students and what they have been able to accomplish has been amazing. It’s so needed in the community, for people in the community who are going into business to know how it works. Coming out of high school and knowing to need a business license just gives them a jump ahead of the others.”
Hines agrees, saying that the best part of the project is watching the students find their groove. She described the first few weeks as students feeling out what needs to be done in an efficient manner.
“Sometimes they failed and they were always so hard on themselves for failing,” Hines said. Eventually, she said, something clicks and students are able to propose new products while analyzing the cost and benefit of bringing them to market. Hines said watching students become adept at their businesses is one of the great joys of the program.
Despite this, Hines doesn’t have any current plans to create new startups. She said she is focused on guiding the current crop of students into finding a new group who are just as dedicated as they are.
“Maybe I can add a third one, but right now I’m only one person,” Hines said.
