The VANTAGE program, now entering its second year at Minnetonka High School, provides students with real-world business experience. The students spend the first months of class learning about entrepreneurship and then prepare business plans for a “Shark Tank” competition each January.
The process resulted in the launching of a new lake-area clothing line, Excelsior Bay Clothing Co. Alex Carney and Will Sharpe, former VANTAGE program students, were so inspired by the class that they decided to take their business plan to the next level. They backed it with real capital and products, and in turn, took home the 2014 Shark Tank prize of a membership to Excelsior’s Commons co-op workspace and a scholarship to use to further EBCC’s products.
What are they selling? A brand dedicated to the lake lifestyle; think Ralph Lauren with a Lake Minnetonka twist. The clothes are simple, with a small embroidered kedge logo on hats and shirts.
With big ideas for the future of their company, including community involvement and getting products into local shops, Carney and Sharpe don’t plan on giving up on the business, even as they leave for separate colleges.
