Empowering Young Innovators: Reed leads student-driven entrepreneurship event

When Zachary Reed first began planning his Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholar project, he didn't expect it to evolve into a large-scale entrepreneurship event connecting local high school students with hands-on business experience. But what started as a pivot quickly grew into something much bigger: an initiative designed to inspire the next generation of innovators and student entrepreneurs.

A junior Finance major at Waynesburg University, Reed recently organized and led Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow, a student-driven entrepreneurship program that welcomed 21 high school students from two local schools. The event combined interactive learning with real-world application, giving participants the opportunity to develop business ideas, build prototypes and pitch their solutions to a panel of judges.

Reed originally planned to focus his project on promoting the University's Makerspace.

"Initially, I set out to market our Makerspace as part of my E-Scholar Project, but after evaluating the logistics, I realized it wouldn't be feasible," Reed said. "It pushed me to think bigger and pivot."

That shift led him to create an event that not only highlighted the mission of the University's entrepreneurial hub, the eHIVE, but also provided a meaningful, hands-on entrepreneurship experience for high school students. What began as a marketing concept soon became a platform for teaching innovation, ethical problem-solving and business leadership skills.

"I think that the Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow event was an exciting hands-on opportunity for high school students to visit campus, gain skills in the entrepreneurial mindset, and also practice rapid prototyping and pitching," said Cassy Dorsch, director of the eHIVE.

Turning that vision into reality required persistence, collaboration and strong leadership. Reed worked closely with faculty and staff, including Dorsch and the eHIVE team, to coordinate logistics, structure the program and connect with local schools. From pitching the idea to administrators to securing student participation, Reed navigated the complexities of event planning and community outreach firsthand.

"The process was much more complex than I initially expected," Reed said. "What started as a simple idea became a multi-layered project that required commitment and attention to detail."

The initiative was intentionally student-led, giving Reed full ownership of the experience from concept to execution while receiving guidance along the way.

"As an Entrepreneurial Leadership Scholar, Zach spearheaded the entire event as his year-long scholar project," Dorsch said. "Our eHIVE team was there to coach Zach throughout the process and assist when needed, but Zach was the primary leader throughout the entire process."

Reed found particular meaning in both the outreach process and the energy of the students who participated in the program.

"I genuinely believed in the value of the event, and I was excited to get on the phone and share it," he said. "It wasn't just outreach; it was learning how to communicate something meaningful and get others to buy into it."

During the event, students quickly embraced key entrepreneurial concepts such as collaboration, problem identification and pitching ideas. Through a rapid prototyping competition, they transformed their ideas into tangible solutions, demonstrating both creativity and confidence-hallmarks of an entrepreneurial mindset.

For Reed, the experience also became a defining moment in his own development as a business student. As an aspiring finance professional, he was challenged to think critically, manage limited resources and prioritize decisions that would create the greatest impact.

"This experience pushed me to think more like a finance professional," Reed said. "I had to constantly evaluate trade-offs, prioritize effectively and focus on creating the greatest impact with what was available."

Beyond technical skills, the project reshaped his perspective on leadership and professional growth.

"I learned that real impact comes from doing the work others avoid, stepping outside your comfort zone and consistently showing up to serve others and see things through," he said.

Dorsch noted that the experience also reflects the University's broader commitment to experiential learning, benefiting both the college students leading initiatives and the high school students participating in them.

"Students were able to learn the entrepreneurial mindset that we teach through various classes and programming, while our student leader Zach Reed also gained valuable leadership skills through his planning and implementation of the event," Dorsch said.

While the event marked a significant achievement, Reed sees it as just the beginning. He envisions Entrepreneurs of Tomorrow as an ongoing series of student-led entrepreneurship initiatives that will continue to empower young entrepreneurs, strengthen community partnerships and connect high school students with business education opportunities at Waynesburg University.

Dorsch shares that vision and sees strong potential for continued growth.

"I would love to see this program continue in the future either as a student-led project or one of our signature events through the eHIVE," she said. "Either way, I think there is great potential for future development and I am excited to see what happens."

Above all, Reed hopes participants left with a lasting sense of confidence and possibility.

"I want them to feel confident stepping outside of their comfort zone, working effectively with others and taking initiative," he said. "Ultimately, I want them to understand that they don't have to follow a set path. They can figure things out and build something meaningful on their own."

Through leadership, adaptability and a commitment to service, Reed's work reflects Waynesburg University's mission to develop purpose-driven leaders while planting the seeds for future innovation and entrepreneurship.