For one week this summer, 100 of South Carolina’s brightest rising high school juniors and seniors traded their traditional summer routines for a one-of-a-kind opportunity to team up with like-minded peers from across the state and experience the exhilaration of creating and selling new business ideas at Clemson University’s Brook T. Smith Launchpad.
The program, now known as Entrepreneurship State, immerses students in an intensive residential experience where they learn directly from entrepreneurs, collaborate in teams and transform ideas into ventures. The week concludes with a pitch competition showcasing solutions designed to improve athletics, education and everyday life. The program builds on the Launchpad’s annual high school entrepreneurship camp, expanding on its identity centered on a statewide community of aspiring innovators.
“Every startup dreams of doubling in size every year,” said Launchpad Founding Director John Hannon. “Thanks to our amazing team, this camp did just that, and we’ll double again in 2027. Our mission to win the state when it comes to entrepreneurship continues to be accomplished.”
Students spent the week developing ideas, testing assumptions and refining business models with guidance from Launchpad staff, counselors and experienced entrepreneurs. Beyond the competition, campers experienced life on Clemson’s campus while building friendships and professional connections with peers who share an entrepreneurial mindset.
For Conway High School student Surhei Brown, the experience extended far beyond business fundamentals.
“Entrepreneurship State gave me more than just business knowledge. It gave me lifelong connections, valuable lessons I can carry into my future and the opportunity to experience the independence of college life. It challenged me to grow, step outside my comfort zone, and left me feeling more confident and excited about my future.”
Andrew Schiff, founder of Métis Advisory and one of the competition judges, said the participants’ curiosity and enthusiasm around entrepreneurship were infectious.
“In just a few days, the students developed ideas that felt genuinely refreshing, many of them centering on healthy habits and strengthening their own communities,” Schiff said. “What struck me most was how they backed each other up while the teams prepared, during the pitches, and when the awards were handed out. The affection and respect they showed the counselors and staff make me confident that many of them will return to Clemson, for camp and for college. I left more optimistic about the next generation of founders than I have ever been.”
The week culminated in a pitch competition recognizing the camp’s top ventures:
First Place – SwitchStep
Team members: Isaiah Liu, Isayjah Todman, William Rhodes, A’miya Jackson, Chastity Isaac and Jae’Dayn Seward
SwitchStep developed a modular athletic shoe system featuring interchangeable soles that can be swapped in under 10 seconds, allowing athletes to use a single upper across multiple sports while maintaining performance with a custom carbon-fiber stability shank.
Second Place – Drip n’ Grip
Team members: Jerry Gan, Kendra Hardee, Manav Bajaj, Timothy Power and Reghan Bartrug
Drip n’ Grip offers fully customized athletic tape and grips that allow athletes to personalize equipment with logos, names, numbers, Bible verses and other custom designs.
Third Place – Turf Cure
Team members: James Russell, Miojare Cruz, Miguel Silva and Deriyan Heath
Turf Cure proposed replacing traditional rubber infill on synthetic athletic fields with acrylic-coated sand to reduce field temperatures and lower the risk of heat-related injuries.
Fourth Place – WYA
Team members: Kai Eliana Symonette, Graceyn Moreland, Jacob Ossa, Jeffery Joseph and Lyla Castillo Miraselva
WYA is a temporary, phone-free wristband that helps people locate friends at large events without requiring an app, account, battery or continuous location tracking.
The People’s Choice Award went to StudyBrick, created by Wilson Kinard, Taleyah Jennings, Gavin Henry, Armani Garcia, Calin Felder, Andrea Mairena-Gomez and Hayden Wright. Their platform uses teachers’ classroom materials to automatically generate personalized flashcards, study guides, practice questions and interactive review tools tailored to each school’s curriculum.
Entrepreneurship State reflects the Brook T. Smith Launchpad’s mission to equip aspiring entrepreneurs with the skills, confidence and connections needed to turn ideas into action. By bringing together students from across South Carolina, the program is helping develop future innovators while introducing them to the collaborative, entrepreneurial culture at Clemson University.
