The lights are dim and the stage is empty at the Culture House Stage and Studio in Oak Park Mall, but seats are full as student entrepreneurs anticipate the second annual Student Startup Showcase.
“Welcome judges, [Shawnee Mission Education] Foundation Corporate Council members, Overland Park Chamber of Commerce business partners, and students. My name is Brendan Gillaspie and I am a student ambassador with the SMSD Student Chamber.” The theater quiets and the judges pick up their pens and rubrics. As an SMSD Student Chamber signature event, the showcase allows students to present business ideas to local professionals, receive actionable feedback, and compete for prize money.
“This competition gave me a goal to look towards and gave me more opportunities and connections with the community,” shared Ryder Sefchick, a rising senior at Shawnee Mission West. Launched in 2024 through a collaboration between the Overland Park Chamber of Commerce and the Shawnee Mission School District, the SMSD Student Chamber is a curriculum-driven program created to foster entrepreneurship, innovation, collaboration, and hands-on real world learning experiences. In just two years, the chamber has more than 400 students, has awarded 118 Market Value Assets (MVAs) earned by students who participated in three or more Student Chamber experiences, and has engaged more than 20 industry partners and over 3,000 community members.
“Our young people have real businesses and they have real goals to connect with others,” explained Dr. Tiffany Dixon, a business teacher at Shawnee Mission West and Shawnee Mission South and the sponsor of the SMSD Student Chamber. “So the Student Chamber of Commerce provides that opportunity for young people to connect with business owners and various professionals around our community and each other.”
Meeting quarterly, the first-of-its-kind chamber provides resources ranging from coaching and peer guidance to marketing and professional development.
“As far as I know, we’re the only Student Chamber in the country,” said Dr. Dixon.
During the chamber’s fourth quarter meeting, students visited the Oak Park Mall in Overland Park where Karla Engel, the facility’s senior general manager, turned the mall into an exploratory classroom. Students visited 14 different business stations to meet with and learn from various local business owners and managers.
“You get to understand where they come from and what they do in the community,” shared Gillaspie, a rising senior at SM West. “It’s awesome. It makes it seem like it is actually doable. Here, you get to talk to them like they are real people.”
The Overland Park Chamber sees this partnership with the SMSD as a building block for the local economy.
Andrew Weisberg, the director of talent with the Overland Park Chamber says that events like the Student Startup Showcase and the fourth quarter meeting at the mall help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset, critical thinking skills, and executive function. “For us, it’s really about building the future,” said Weisberg.
When the final student presenter leaves the showcase stage, the judges make their final notes. The youngest participant, Lexi Hitchcock, a fifth grader from Christa McAuliffe Elementary, fidgets nervously as she waits. Her idea, a subscription craft kit for kids, was a passion project that grew from a desire to minimize craft waste and create a more eco-friendly creative outlet for kids like her little sister.
“[The showcase] helped me learn what all goes into [being an entrepreneur],” shared Lexi. “It’s a lot harder than I thought.”
But the hard work paid off. As the judges announced the finalists, Lexi’s nerves turned to excitement and joy- her Kids Kits took first place. The Shawnee Mission School District is providing Real World Learning opportunities for students as outlined in the district’s Strategic Plan. Real World Learning opportunities prepare students for college and careers and support skill development connected to SMSD’s Portrait of a Graduate.
Learn more about the Shawnee Mission School District’s Portrait of a Graduate.
Read more about Real World Learning.
Shawnee Mission School District is the third largest school district in Kansas. The district serves students in Pre-Kindergarten through 12th grade in 34 elementary schools, five middle schools, five high schools, and several educational centers. It has been consistently ranked among the finest school districts nationwide for its high student performance. The district’s objective is that each student will have a personalized learning plan that will prepare them for college and careers, with the interpersonal skills they need for life success. The district serves a diverse student population from 14 cities within northeast Johnson County, Kansas, which is 10 miles from downtown Kansas City, Missouri. For more information, visit www.smsd.org.
