This June, high school students from across Metro Denver delved into the world of entrepreneurship at Business Bound. Presented by Junior Achievement-Rocky Mountain (JA) and the Jake Jabs Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Colorado Denver, Business Bound allows participants to gain invaluable insights from business leaders and community volunteers from across the state while learning what it takes to run a successful business through hands-on, interactive lessons.

Throughout the week-long program, students learned how to think like an entrepreneur, practiced their networking skills with volunteers, developed ideas that could translate into a future business, and competed in teams as CEOs within the phone industry through JA Titan, where they saw how every choice made by an organization relates to future success.

“It was a really fun and productive program,” said Anarghya K. “Getting to meet current-day entrepreneurs, learning a bit about business, and meeting new people all made it a great experience.”

Volunteers played an important role all week long, including networking with students, playing the role of project managers and buyers as students worked to build desirable products, and hosting a meet and greet with local entrepreneurs.

“My experience was wonderful,” said a Business Bound volunteer. “It was great to help influence the next group of entrepreneurs.”

Students also heard from keynote speakers, including Mowa Haile, founder and president of Sky Blue Builders, and Jake Jabs, president and CEO of American Furniture Warehouse. By the end of the week, most participants became more interested in entrepreneurship and the possibility of starting their own business one day.

“This might be one of the best programs I have ever experienced,” said Jose G. “Getting to work with other students and the volunteers made this a great week!”