Building a Statewide Youth Entrepreneurship Ecosystem: Meet Aaron & Mark, VentureLab Certified Advocates in Missouri
VentureLab |
January 13, 2026
VentureLab is proud to celebrate Aaron Banks and Mark Cowsert of the Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN) for expanded opportunities for young people across Missouri to experience entrepreneurial learning. Both Aaron and Mark have championed entrepreneurial mindsets, supported educators, and helped afterschool programs across Missouri to bring innovation and real-world skill building to youth from elementary through high school.
Their journeys into this work are unique, but their impact is united by a shared belief: young people thrive when caring adults give them time, space, and encouragement to explore their ideas.
Public service, STEM, & Entrepreneurship: Meet Aaron Banks
VentureLab recognizes Aaron Banks, a dedicated leader who brings creativity, resilience, and real-world experience to youth across Missouri.
Aaron began his career in law enforcement. Shortly after 9/11, he got his teaching license and spent the next ten years teaching middle school science in districts across Missouri. When his family moved to Texas, Aaron continued his work in education at a career and technical center. He taught forensic science and crime scene investigation, drawing on both his science background and law enforcement experience.
After returning to Missouri, Aaron started his own business. He faced significant barriers but pushed forward, even working to change state laws! His determination paid off, and he launched the business he had envisioned. When the pandemic emerged, Aaron made the difficult decision to close the business, but soon found the Missouri AfterSchool Network, where his unique mix of experiences made him an ideal candidate for the Career and Post Secondary Awareness (CAPSA) and Entrepreneurship Coordinator role.
Today, Aaron serves as Youth Workforce Initiatives Coordinator for the Missouri AfterSchool Network. He helps programs bring career awareness, workforce skills, and entrepreneurship experiences to youth statewide, using the flexibility of afterschool to spark curiosity, confidence, and opportunity.
Partnerships, Pathways, and Afterschool Innovation: Meet Mark Cowsert
VentureLab celebrates Mark Cowsert, a committed leader whose work across Missouri strengthens afterschool programs, deepens partnerships, and expands access to entrepreneurial learning.
Mark began his career in higher education, working in student affairs, residence life, student government, and campus leadership. After leaving higher ed, Mark moved to southwest Missouri to serve as a pastor, working bi-vocationally and spending his days in an elementary school as a one-to-one paraeducator. He built meaningful relationships with youth and their families and became more interested in helping students plan for their futures.
His move into afterschool leadership happened unexpectedly when the director of an afterschool 21st Century Community Learning Center asked him to consider applying for the position. He did, and that decision led Mark to discover the creativity and innovation that afterschool offers. In the site director role, he expanded the college and career readiness program and built partnerships with local organizations to design hands-on career exploration for students starting in kindergarten.
Today, Mark is the Associate Director of Partnerships for the Missouri AfterSchool Network. His work focuses on building meaningful relationships across the state, aligning afterschool with post-secondary, workforce and economic development efforts.
The Power of a Statewide Network: Missouri Afterschool Network
The stories of Aaron and Mark are deeply connected to the mission and work of the Missouri AfterSchool Network (MASN).
Established in 2002 through a C.S. Mott Foundation grant, MASN was created as a statewide partnership with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). It is hosted by the University of Missouri Extension’s 4-H Center for Youth Development, and its purpose has remained steady: to support, strengthen, and sustain high-quality afterschool programs across Missouri.
MASN’s vision is clear:
All school-age children and youth in Missouri should have access to high-quality, sustainable afterschool programs.
Through the Missouri AfterSchool Resource Center (MOARC), MASN offers programs technical assistance, training, and coaching to help them launch, improve, and expand services. MASN also supports 21st Century Community Learning Centers and other providers with ongoing professional development and problem-solving support that strengthens program quality.
In recent years, MASN has become a key statewide leader in youth entrepreneurship in afterschool. Through strong partnerships, curriculum support, micro-grant opportunities, student pitch events, and connections to organizations like VentureLab, MASN helps programs bring entrepreneurial mindsets and skill sets to students from elementary through high school.
Together, leaders like Aaron and Mark, along with the entire MASN team are helping youth across Missouri discover that they are innovators, problem solvers, and changemakers—equipped with the confidence and creativity to pursue their ideas and build stronger communities.
Aaron and Mark believe deeply that every student should have access to entrepreneurship education, whether or not they start a business. They value how afterschool and summer learning gives young people time, space, and voice to explore their ideas, collaborate with mentors, and learn that failure is a step toward growth. Visit https://moafterschool.org to learn more.
