Wednesday, October 25 was a day of entrepreneurial discovery for the next generation of local business leaders. Thirty students from Arcadia, Central Valley and Ord took part in the 6th Annual Business Discovery Day to delve deeper into their interest in being a future entrepreneur and business leader.
The day started off at the Central Community College Ord Learning Center with the students digging into the results of their Builder Profile 10, a Gallup strengths assessment that helps individuals discover their innate talents for starting and growing something of economic value. Gregg Christenson, a frequent guest at Valley County entrepreneurial activities and specialist in Entrepreneurship Education and Work Based Learning for the Nebraska Department of Education, helped the students delve into their entrepreneurial strengths assessment with interactive activities and learning. 
The group then transitioned to The Golden Husk in downtown Ord for an activity that prompted the utilization of their strengths while working with local business leaders and UNK Enactus students and sponsors during an Entrepreneurship Challenge, a new activity where groups developed a strategy for real-world business challenges for a half dozen Valley County businesses. Local business participants included Hackel Construction (Ord), Springdale Title & Realty (Ord), Maschka’s Building Center (Arcadia), CinTrese Boutique (Ord), Misko Sports (Ord) and Main Street Gallery (North Loup). Challenges the student groups were presented with included everything from new marketing strategies, effective workspace solutions, transitioning to paperless files and workforce recruitment.
Following the Entrepreneurship Challenge, students had the opportunity to tour two new businesses in downtown Ord, Jubilee Events & Catering and Utopia Spa & Health Studio, where they learned that pursuing your passion can evolve into a thriving business.
The students gained valuable insights about their strengths and discovered aspects involved with operating a business. Some of the students shared that they learned: “I have to do what I really enjoy and I need a good team,” “Doing new things and exploring the business areas that I would not have thought about before,” “You don’t have to know everything to start a business – ask for help,” “How to work with strangers and talk to business people,” “Talking and communicating helps with progressing forward in the future,” “How important local businesses are.”
Year after year, Business Discovery Day provides area students with valuable entrepreneurship experiences, discovery about their innate strengths and meaningful awareness about local businesses due to the collaborative partnership among the Ord Area Chamber of Commerce, Central Community College Ord Learning Center, Valley County Community Foundation Fund, Valley County Economic Development and Ord FBLA. Each of these partners highly values connection with local youth and supports the next generation of business leaders of our community.