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Luverne High School junior Kamryn Van Batavia merged her love of arts and crafts into a business.
On May 18, Van Batavia publicly debuted her business, k.lee company, at the CEO Trade Show at St. Leo Catholic Church in Pipestone along with 16 other students from six area schools selected for the program.
Katie Baustian is the facilitator of the local program.
“The true purpose of the program is to show what’s in southwest Minnesota and bring them (the young people) back to the area,” she said.
Baustian organizes visits for the students with area business owners and guest speakers, who share tips and business insights.
Each CEO participant is also paired with an adult mentor.
Van Batavia’s mentor is Emily Crabtree, a first-year mentor and director of the Luverne Area Community Foundation.
Crabtree said she guided Van Batavia through the business-starting process rather than force her own ideas.
“She’d bounced a lot of stuff off of me,” Crabtree said. “I would then instead put questions back to her.”
The two worked through Van Batavia’s business plan, looking at Van Batavia’s interests, what her time is worth, cost of the product and what price to set for her products.
Van Batavia said she learned an important lesson from the 60 business visits the CEO class completed this year.
“A lot of business owners say, ‘Don’t downplay your worth,’” she said.
Van Batavia designed and assembled customized wrist lanyards. She uses colorful silicone and wooden beans for the lanyards in two size choices. She priced her products at $12 and $15.
Before Wednesday’s trade show, she already sold 100 lanyards and had 150 more prepared for sale.
“My favorite part (of the CEO program) is seeing where I was then (the program began last fall) to where I am now,” Van Batavia said.
Time management, personal confidence and how to talk with potential customers are skills she gained from the program.
Mentor Crabtree first experienced the CEO program through her son, Colby, a CEO Class of 2020 alumnus.
He continues his business, “Blue Mound Buckets,” a line of baseball caps with decorative leather decals, as he studies ag system technologies at SDSU.
Crabtree said he learned an important lesson from his time in the CEO program.
Crabtree recently started a line of caps featuring waterfowl decals.
“Don’t be afraid to reinvent your business to continue to be successful,” he said.
CEO or Creating Entrepreneurial Opportunities is a program through Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship. The local southwest Minnesota program began in 2019.
The program guides selected junior and senior students to become responsible, enterprising individuals who think like entrepreneurs and become leaders either of their own businesses or for other companies.
Students, their schools, and businesses in the 2021-22 CEO program include:
•Owen Vogel, senior, Southwest MN Christian in Edgerton, Lake Shore Candle Co.
•Noah Mehlhaff, senior, Luverne, Ma Deuce Military Apparel Co.
•Samantha Moser, senior, Hills-Beaver Creek, Farm to Fork Education.
•Mackenzie Voss, senior, Hills-Beaver Creek, Maluhia Swimwear.
•Julianne Eisma, senior, Southwest MN Christian, Extend His Glory.
•Hermella Suda, senior, Pipestone High School, Spotless Cleaning Services.
•Kamryn Van Batavia, junior, Luverne, k. lee company.
•Mallory Nelson, junior, Luverne, Breezy’s Bark Shop.
•Jocelynn Mann, junior, Luverne, JEM’s Quality Towels.
•Hunter Ahrendt, senior, Luverne, Big Shooter Boards.
•Braydon Ripka, senior, Luverne, Ripka’s Detailing.
•Melody Remund, junior, Pipestone, Simply Mel.
•Hiltyn Heitkamp, senior, Adrian, Rural Rootz.
•Mary Opitz, senior, Luverne, aurora + grace.
•Mallory Von Tersch, junior, Luverne, The Cravery.
•Rogan Smidt, junior, Pipestone, Smidt Livestock Products.
•Elly Klosterbuer, junior, Hills-Beaver Creek, Saving Grace Photography.