Academics

Entrepreneurship Studies

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Inspiring future entrepreneurs

Build practical skills with local business experts

Steward’s Entrepreneurship Studies program, open to all Upper School students (Grades 9-12), was developed through a partnership between Steward faculty and successful local entrepreneurs. The program is designed to inspire innovation, build practical business skills, and foster meaningful connections between students and the local entrepreneurial community.

The program is a co-curricular series of experiences that include:

lectures and discussions with visiting entrepreneurs on campus and in the Metro Richmond area;
field trips to witness entrepreneurship in action at startups and incubators;
an internship with a local entrepreneur; and
participation in creative brief scenarios with local businesses, resulting in a presentation and pitch to local entrepreneurs.

Participation Opportunities

By engaging in the program’s activities, students earn participation credits. These credits are designated as either “Knowledge Credits” or “Creation Credits.” Knowledge Credits are earned by attending Entrepreneurship Studies events such as lectures or lunchtime discussions (1 Knowledge Credit = Attendance at 1 event). Creation Credits are earned by participating in activities that require a significant level of engagement and commitment of time (1 Creation Credit = 5 or more hours of entrepreneurship-related work).

Diploma Endorsement

Students may earn an Entrepreneurship diploma endorsement by completing the following requirements: 10 Knowledge Credits and 3 Creation Credits. Faculty advisors must review and approve all credits prior to graduation during the student’s senior year.

Example Curriculum

In 2025-26, the program offered students two exciting opportunities to collaborate with local businesses. During each experience, students were presented with a creative brief outlining a real-world challenge. They then worked in teams to develop and present pitch deck solutions, demonstrating their creativity, strategic thinking, and problem-solving skills. During the 2025-26 academic year, students also visited the CarMax Innovation Center and LaDiff furniture company.

In addition to these hands-on projects, students in the 2025-26 program participated in a series of engaging lessons covering essential topics such as marketing, core values, entrepreneurial characteristics, financial statements, and delivering an effective sales pitch. These sessions were led by a team of dedicated program advisors and featured guest speakers from Richmond-area startups such as Rusty Jordan and Parker Wright from CarMax, Gayle Turner from Storytellers, Matt White from Spacebomb, Charles George from Publish to Thrive, Sarah Paxton, president and co-owner of LaDiff, Steven Spiro from Richmond SCORE, and Professor Dale Fickett from the University of Richmond.

In the Media

Read these articles from the Richmond media about the launch of the program:

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"We utilize our business backgrounds to facilitate students’ learning and growth. The Entrepreneurship Studies Program fosters collaboration between the Steward community and the Greater Richmond business community with authentic experiences."

-Angela Coppola, Entrepreneurship Studies Program Advisor