For the first time in its 10-year history, Thomas More University in Crestview Hills is joining the school's annual Summer Startup program. The on-campus program lasts three weeks and allows high school students to learn how to develop a business, said Jeni Al Bahrani, director of the Zembrodt Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, professor of practice and university alumna. 

"This is our future of Kentucky, and it's really cool to learn what they're passionate about, what they want to build in a business [and] what kind of business they want to work for," she said. 

As an entrepreneur herself, Al Bahrani said working at the school where she received her Bachelor of Arts has been a full-circle moment. 

“It is cool to come back to where I got my undergrad and teach entrepreneurship here," she said. "I'm able to do that from an application standpoint with the businesses that I've owned and then also from a theoretical standpoint." 

As part of the program, the students will get hands-on experience and essential tools to give them the confidence to pursue a career in entrepreneurship, Al Bahrani said. 

"Part of that curriculum is learning the skills that empower them to think of being problem-solvers, thinking of creative solutions and then learning to test their solutions," she said. 

Construction of the Zembrodt Center began in summer 2022 and will conclude this spring, just before the program begins.

Nearly 900 students have been through the Governor’s School for Entrepreneurs, many of whom have started their own businesses. More information about the program can be found on its website.