A Shark Tank State of Mind: Empowering an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Presented by Usha Iype, 8th Grade Teacher, Entrepreneurship and Math 180 Labs, Edison Middle School (IL); Patrick Bresnahan, Electives Teacher, Hubble Middle School (IL); and Janet Johnson, CTE Business & Marketing Teacher, Hickory High School (NC)
Hosted by Erica Hart, Community Engagement Manager, EVERFI

Sponsored by EVERFI

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Entrepreneurial thinking means innovating, creative problem-solving, and seeking out new opportunities. These skills are critical to success now and in the careers of the future. By 2020, at least 40% of America’s workforce will be entrepreneurs, freelancers or contractors¹, and 54% of Millennials either want to start a business or have already done so.² The workforce of tomorrow will be more flexible, independent, and entrepreneurial, regardless of the field.

As we prepare students for their careers in this new economy — as employees or business owners — we have to acknowledge that they will need a very different set of skills than what has been taught in the past, and those skills will need to be taught in evolving ways.

This edWebinar introduces activities and free resources to help students hone their innovative thinking, creativity, problem-solving, and other entrepreneurial traits essential for success. Viewers will receive access to free online lessons focused on developing middle and high school students’ entrepreneurial mindsets.

This recorded edWebinar will be of benefit to middle and high school teachers and school leaders. 

¹Emergent Research and Intuit, 2011
²Kauffman Foundation, 2011

About the Presenters

Usha Iype is a STEM Innovator certified teacher through the University of Iowa, Jacobson Institute, and teaches 8th grade entrepreneurship at Edison Middle School in Wheaton, IL. She also teaches Math 180 Labs, coaches 8th-grade Girls Volleyball, co-sponsors the Maker Monday Club, and has 20 years of teaching experience. Students enrolled in the semester-long entrepreneurship course have the opportunity to work in a collaborative environment in which student teams identify a problem within their school and the local community. Course goals include: validating proposed solutions and pivoting ideas based on customer discovery, problem-solving through collaboration and communication while nurturing a growth mindset. Through this process, students develop an understanding that failure produces opportunities for learning and success. The culminating activity of the entrepreneurship course requires students to pitch their business concepts to community and industry leaders during the annual District 200 Middle School Entrepreneurship Expo.

Patrick Bresnahan teaches entrepreneurship at Hubble Middle School in Warrenville, Illinois. Patrick launched his teaching career at DePaul University as an economic history teacher and literacy researcher in a community outreach program designed to prepare underserved urban high school students for college. Currently, Patrick concentrates on designing instructional environments that blend simulation and gamification techniques to engage students in developing the skills and perspectives needed to participate in real-world activities. Prior to teaching, Patrick worked for various financial institutions as a fixed income trader. He received a Bachelor of Arts in economics from DePaul University and he later returned to the university to obtain a Master of Arts in curriculum and instruction.

Janet Johnson is a CTE business and marketing teacher at Hickory High School in North Carolina. She has lived in North Carolina for most of her life and has been a teacher 15 of those years. As a teacher, her goal is to help students become successful and productive adults. Her students face many obstacles in their lives and teaching them real-world skills is one way she helps them learn to overcome. She prays and hopes that the information she teaches in her classes empowers her students to overcome whatever life may throw at them. She also has raised two successful daughters who are her pride and joy.

About the Host

Erica Hart is a senior schools manager based in Kansas City. She has earned a bachelor’s in education and a master’s in educational technology. Before joining EVERFI, Erica was a business and entrepreneurship educator and DECA advisor for 5 years. Erica now helps to train and provide support to teachers and share the impact of EVERFI’s resources.

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From grade school through retirement, EVERFI’s free digital education curriculums empower learners of all ages to make safe, smart and informed decisions. We bring together the public and private sectors so K-12 teachers can equip today’s learners with the skills they need to become tomorrow’s leaders.