VentureLab is delighted to celebrate Peter Gioia, a dedicated educator at Mission: St. Louis Beyond School in St. Louis, Missouri, who positively impacts his community through entrepreneurship education.
He has earned the status of VentureLab Certified Educator for his contribution to the youth entrepreneurship movement growing his mindset in the VentureLab Mindset for Educator PD Program, leading a Mindset cohort to teach other educators, teaching other educators at MASN’s 2024 conference, and successfully completing the Idea to Pitch Program Certification. Since earning the certified educator status.
A Dedicated Educator with a Passion for Youth Development
Peter graduated from Drury University with a Bachelor of Science in English and achieved certification from Oxford Seminars in TESOL/ ESL/ TEFL. Peter taught ESL in Costa Rica to business professionals and high school scholars. He also taught 1st grade English, Math, and Science. He later returned to St. Louis, MO USA to further his career in education. St. Louis has always been his home, and serving the community has always been a passion.
He loves being close to his friends and family, and he enjoys hiking, kayaking, and being in nature. He is a self-proclaimed nerd, who plays DnD with his friends and reads science-fiction and fantasy series.
The Power of Partnerships
Mission: St. Louis started using VentureLab materials during the 2020-2021 COVID shutdown. They held a virtual pitch contest with successes that are still visible today. A formal partnership between the two organizations began in 2022 thanks to the Missouri AfterSchool Network.
In 2023, Peter deepened the partnership when he brought in Academic Success Coaches at three Beyond School sites to lead the Idea to Pitch program. They completed training, on-going professional development sessions, led students through the curriculum, and facilitated student surveys. In 2024, Mission: St. Louis had their inaugural Beyond School Pitch Event powered by VentureLab. This most recent school year culminated in Pitch Events at four Beyond School sites and the 2nd Annual Beyond School Pitch Event powered by VentureLab.
“When we start with young youth, and VentureLab has this curriculum, and we’re instilling these entrepreneurial mindsets into kids, the whole idea is that the sky's the limit.”
Student Success Story: Timmy’s Journey
One of Peter’s most inspiring stories is about Timothy, an energetic boy in the 4th grade, who consistently works hard and builds ideas with passion. During the Idea to Pitch program leading up to the Beyond School Inaugural Pitch Contest, Timothy was fully engaged, working diligently to create a concept he would be proud to pitch.
When Peter would come to Timothy’s site to mentor the students that were working on their pitches, Timothy would be a radiant ball of joy. “Are you picking us up? Do we get to go work on our pitches?” Timothy would pepper Peter with questions and had a determination that inspired his peers.
Many of the students who had not been introduced to entrepreneurship were skeptical and slow to start, but not Timothy. Timothy worked hard, reciting and revising his pitch over and over. Peter would provide feedback and tips, recording Timothy’s practice pitch and playing it back for him.
On the day of the pitch contest, Timothy came to the event dressed to the nines: black button up shirt, black slacks, polished shoes, and a beautifully sparkling silver vest. His energy was palpable. He got to the stage and had a great performance. Unfortunately, Timothy didn’t win the inaugural contest.
The Benefit of Entrepreneurial Mindsets and Skills
Peter reflects on the initial hesitation some students displayed toward the program’s entrepreneurial focus. He recounts how these initially doubtful students, after witnessing the engagement of their peers, began to inquire, “What are they working on? Can I go with them? Why do they always get to have so much fun?”
He particularly values how the coaches introduced activities, modeled them, and then allowed the students to collaborate and deviate, letting their creativity guide the process. “
He particularly values how the coaches introduced activities, modeled them, and then allowed the students to collaborate and deviate, letting their creativity guide the process. “The academic coaches are letting it become and evolve into whatever the kid’s creativity inspires,” he observes. This flexible approach, where activities are sometimes transformed, resonated with Peter as it perfectly embodied the core message: “Try something if it’s not working exactly how you want it, you reiterate, you try it again.”
Building a Better Community Through Youth Empowerment
As the current CAPSA Manager of Beyond School at Mission: St. Louis, Peter has helped implement VentureLab’s curriculum and approach to transform the lives of the youth he serves in the St. Louis community.
“If students are thinking about the entrepreneurial process at really young ages, the older they get and the more development they have, the more failures they experience, the more they realize it's actually really important to fail, and the more success they'll have later in life. Those successes can build up our community.”
Join the VentureLab Certified Community
Peter has gone on to teach other adults by leading 12 of his Mission St Louis colleagues in a cohort of the VentureLab Mindset for Educators PD Program.
Are you passionate about empowering youth and transforming education through entrepreneurial learning? VentureLab is cultivating a certified community of educators and advocates committed to making an impact. Discover how you can become involved and join the movement!
Want to learn how you can bring entrepreneurial learning to your community, contact VentureLab’s Director of Education, Scott Mann.
