By Luke ’27
Though I enjoy many clubs at Harvard-Westlake, the Middle School Venture Club may be my favorite. HW Venture is a schoolwide program with many offerings, one of which is the Middle School Venture Entrepreneurship Club led by Ninth Grader Lauren Park and faculty advisor Jessica Kaufman. HW Venture also consists of an incubator program, a summer camp, an extensive alumni network, speaker events, workshops, and more. For Middle School students interested in those opportunities, attending the Middle School Venture club is the perfect opportunity to get started.
One way Venture informs students about entrepreneurship is through speaker events. Venture invites school alumni that became entrepreneurs to come speak to students. These events are open to the entire student body, and draw large audiences each time. A favorite speaker for many students was Natasha Case, a Harvard-Westlake alumna and co-founder of Coolhaus Ice Cream. Venture’s most recent speaker was Arielle Winfield, the founder and CEO of Sessions. She discussed the creation of her company Sessions, a platform that helps creators to monetize their work. Venture has also held entrepreneurial workshops for students, an invaluable tool for the aspiring entrepreneurs within Venture. Earlier in the year, Venture sold Candygrams to the student body. The proceeds from this project went to the Farm Link Project, which helps fight against food insecurity. Venture’s current project is likely the most exciting endeavor of the year: A boutique made up entirely of student-led businesses. The boutique is set to happen in just a few weeks, and Venture is excited to help support these student entrepreneurs.
Getting involved in Venture is incredibly easy, and I suggest that all new students attend. To learn more about the clubs at Harvard-Westlake, use this link. All Harvard-Westlake students receive an email each day called the Daily Bulletin. The Daily Bulletin informs students about relevant school information, such as what days various clubs meet. Simply check this email once you begin school, and go to the location indicated during the “Activities” period. This is a break period for students at the Middle School, and it is when all clubs meet. If you have any more questions about Venture, or are interested in learning more, email [email protected].
I look forward to attending Venture every week, as it gives me the opportunity to both learn more about business, and give back to our local and school community. It serves as the perfect entry point into club participation, as it gets admirable work done while still being enjoyable. Most importantly, it helps to create and support student businesses, preparing students for the future.
