VentureLab Blog

Welcome to the VentureLab blog, your hub for innovative entrepreneurial education resources and inspiration. Explore engaging ESTEAM articles, discover free educational resources (hands-on activities and downloads) , and get inspired by classroom and individual success stories from our community.

New course: Entrepreneurial Mindsets for Educators

We must must practice and model the same entrepreneurial thinking we ask of youth.
VentureLab invites you to join the Entrepreneurial Mindset Course for Educators to practice and grow the same mindsets that you want to see in the youth you serve. The evidence based program uses best practices in adult learning theory and can be used by individuals or groups seeking to imbue their culture with empathy, adaptability, optimism…all the entrepreneurial mindsets and skills.

October 31, 2022

quote about being intentional about teaching entrepreneurship

The Wyoming Afterschool Alliance, 4-H, and VentureLab reframe the word “entrepreneur”

The word entrepreneur is often narrowly defined as starting a business. We recognize that it’s more than that and so does the afterschool and 4-H community.

September 23, 2022

kids singing the VentureLab Entrepreneur Song

Classroom sings the VentureLab Entrepreneur Song

Watch this video of an elementary classroom is singing the VentureLab Entrepreneur Song! It was share with us by Lisa S., an Entrepreneurship Teacher, Nashville, TN. Lisa is teaching our Topics in Entrepreneurship Grades 1-2 curriculum and her class was pretty excited to sing this song about how to be an entrepreneur.

September 20, 2022

Vote for our SXSW Panels

Help us get our sessions on the 2023 programs at the South by Southwest Interactive and Edu conferences! It’s just three easy steps.

August 16, 2022

Introducing our all new Story Starter Generator

Spark creativity, courage and risk-taking with our all new Story Starter Generator! Use this fun online activity to teach and practice brainstorming. It’s flexible and suitable for all ages, or even mixed grade levels!

August 9, 2022

Youth pitch event volunteer panelists June 2022

Meet our panelists from June’s Youth Virtual Pitch night

Meet our panelists from June’s Youth Virtual Pitch night. We appreciate them taking the time to volunteer their time to give feedback and mentoring for this event. We appreciate and are deeply grateful to our audience participants, volunteer panelists, donors and young entrepreneurs!

August 3, 2022

16-year-old Kartik’s pitch for his invention, SugarJet

Watch 16 year old Kartik pitch his invention to help diabetics: SugarJet, a painless, permanent and affordable insulin pump. He talks about how his grandmother’s challenges with diabetes inspired him to create this invention, about how this device matches up to competitors, and gets feedback and questions from our panel.

Learn more about our Youth Virtual Pitch Events and register today!

July 31, 2022

Youth pitch event - customizable jewelry

Kellee’s pitch for her customizable jewelry business, Kellee’s Little Things

Watch 14 year old Kellee pitch her customizable jewelry business, Kellee’s Little Things, and talk about what inspired her to start it. She took part in our June 2022 Live Virtual Pitch Event. Learn more about our youth virtual pitch events and register today!

July 25, 2022

Youth Virtual Pitch: Mocha Beans Boutique

13-year-old Myiah’s Mocha Beans Boutique Pitch

Watch 13-year-old Myiah pitch her idea for hair and beauty products, Mocha Beans Boutique, during our June 2022 Live Virtual Pitch Event! She talks about her beauty business and the unique products that she’s created, and then she receives feedback from our panelists.

July 21, 2022

Venture Forward with an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Entrepreneurship is more than starting a business, it’s a way of thinking and acting. It’s about identifying opportunities, finding ways to solve problems, and taking

July 19, 2022

Getting Resourceful with the Egg Drop Challenge

The observation challenge asks us to complete a simple observation task but reveals a much bigger surprise about our ability to actively take in the world around us!

April 10, 2022

3 Tips to Increase Diversity in Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship is essential to our future and, unfortunately, the modern image of entrepreneurship does not reflect our diverse population. This means we are missing out

April 9, 2022

Illustration of toys including a penguin, bear, rocket, ducks, basketball, tablet, and truck under a "Build a Toy Business" banner with colorful triangular pennants in the background. Ideal for K12 entrepreneur curriculum or teaching entrepreneurship to young minds.

Build a Toy Business Activity

This activity encourages youth to work through the entrepreneurship process and features ideation, market research, prototyping, and pitching. All of this with a fun twist: making a toy business!

December 15, 2021

A graphic titled "11 Public Speaking Tips" with colorful blobs listing tips such as composure, speed, emphasis, body language, volume, active listening, and practice. Perfect for youth entrepreneurship education. Website venturelab.org is noted at the bottom.

11 Public Speaking Tips for Youth (and Adults!)

We’ve compiled a list of public speaking tips that can help both youth and adults become more confident, persuasive speakers.

December 6, 2021

Marshmallow Challenge Activity

This isn’t your ordinary marshmallow challenge! This activity takes an in-depth entrepreneurial look at the design process and inspires reflection on each stage. Youth will

November 14, 2021

Free Resource: Empathy Coupons

This activity asks students to be mindful and “walk in the shoes” of someone they know by considering what makes that person happy, creating a coupon, and then carrying out the action to deliver happiness and take empathy to action.

October 24, 2021

New course: Entrepreneurial Mindsets for Educators

The Wyoming Afterschool Alliance, 4-H, and VentureLab reframe the word “entrepreneur”

Classroom sings the VentureLab Entrepreneur Song

Vote for our SXSW Panels

Introducing our all new Story Starter Generator

Meet our panelists from June’s Youth Virtual Pitch night

16-year-old Kartik’s pitch for his invention, SugarJet

Kellee’s pitch for her customizable jewelry business, Kellee’s Little Things

13-year-old Myiah’s Mocha Beans Boutique Pitch

Venture Forward with an Entrepreneurial Mindset

Getting Resourceful with the Egg Drop Challenge

3 Tips to Increase Diversity in Entrepreneurship

Build a Toy Business Activity

11 Public Speaking Tips for Youth (and Adults!)

Marshmallow Challenge Activity

Free Resource: Empathy Coupons

Recent Posts

Kid Nation Inc.’s Role in Empowering San Antonio Youth through Entrepreneurial Learning

2025 Utah Afterschool Network Northern Recharge Workshop: Lessons to Legacies

VentureLab’s 2024 Annual Report: Celebrating Progress in Entrepreneurial Education

Empowering Youth Through Career Innovation: Meet Adam Rodriguez, a VentureLab Certified Educator in San Antonio

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