June 9, 2025 -- While riding in the car with his parents, Mason saw a fire with no firefighters on site. That’s when inspiration struck: What if a drone could step in and save the day?
For the past year, Mason Samon, a fifth-grade student at West Mound Elementary School, spends his free time building drones for fun.
Out of Samon’s drone idea came 360 Hawk, a business concept that designs First Person View (FPV) drones capable of putting out fires in places too dangerous or inaccessible for firefighters.
Through the Building CEOs 101 program, Samon brought his vision to life – on a vision board. Designed to introduce elementary students to the fundamentals of entrepreneurship, the program pairs West Mound fifth graders with eighth-grade mentors from Hilltonia Middle School. Together, students explore what it takes to launch a business – from identifying real-world problems to pitching ideas with confidence.
“I got to write [up a business plan] and build [the business] in real life while showing my creativity,” Samon said. “And it felt really great to have the older kids help me reach my goal.”
Over the course of 10 weeks, West Mound students transformed into budding entrepreneurs – brainstorming, building, and bringing their dreams to life. Each student developed a unique business idea while learning entrepreneurial basics.
To spark creativity, students visited the Idea Foundry in Franklinton, a makerspace buzzing with invention and innovation. Building CEOs 101 ended in a final showcase, where students unveiled vision boards and pitched their businesses to Hilltonia students.
Antonio Smith, chief executive officer of Clean Enterprises, the entrepreneurial coaching organization that provided the curriculum, said Building CEOs 101 teaches students critical business skills. From researching business names on the Ohio Secretary of State website to seeking funding and developing building plans, students experienced the steps needed to launch their own enterprise.
“A lot of our young people have really, really great ideas at an early age,” Smith said. “We get to teach them that there are resources around us they can tap into to manifest those ideas.”
In addition to promoting entrepreneurship, the program also builds a bridge between elementary and middle school students. Columbus City Schools (CCS) Region 1 Principal Coach Diane Campbell who coordinated Building CEOs 101, credited the program with helping Hilltonia students embrace their leadership abilities while mentoring younger peers.
Through the program, students are discovering what it means to take initiative, step up, and inspire others. It’s a hands-on lesson that’s developing confident and future changemakers.
“They get to model what it is to be a leader,” Campbell said. “Each time they arrive, they have a job. They have a group of students they get to motivate.”
Hilltonia eighth grader Gabriella Martinez Ginn served as one of the mentors. For her, the experience was just as enriching.
“It’s just been really fun and nice to help [students] realize that at a young age, they can go into business and make their own money,” Ginn said.
Building CEOs 101 is more than a business program – it’s a launchpad for imagination, initiative, and life-long skills. From vision boards to real-world pitches, students like Samon and Ginn are learning that age is no barrier to entrepreneurial spirit.
