PRESS RELEASE

Huntington Mall to Host WV Governor’s School of

Entrepreneurship Pop-Up Shop

West Virginia High-School Students Using Pop Up Shops to Test Interest in Ideas

Contact: Olen York (olen.york@marshall.edu)|304.696.263

Dir. of Entrepreneurship Education

Dean WV Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship

HUNTINGTON, WV, June 28, 2022 – West Virginia students participating in the West Virginia Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship (WVGSE) will get the opportunity to test their ideas and business models at the “Pop Up at the Huntington Mall” retail event on Saturday, July 2^nd and Sunday, July 3^rd.  The event takes place from 10:30 AM to 4:30 PM each day.  WVGSE is a no-cost program for eligible high school students.

Modeled after the quick set-up and short-duration pop-up shop phenomenon, during the Fourth of July weekend, WVGSE students will set-up retail mobile units (RMU) in the Center Court of the Huntington Mall in Barboursville, WV.  Using the RMU as a base of sales, each one of the five student-groups will interact with Huntington Mall patrons and test whether their idea and business model is desirable.  Each group will have a product and/or experience to market to patrons.  The goal is for each group to collect information and data that assists in determining whether the idea and business model are likely to attain success.   

Through its curriculum and hands-on activities, WVGSE promotes a growth mindset and engagement in experimentation for quick learning opportunities.  “Pop Up at the Mall” leverages the convenience of one-stop shopping, indoor commerce, and the Fourth of July weekend to place the student-groups in a space that generates engagement with potential customers.  Such engagement is invaluable for data and information collection and decisions derived from that collection.      

At the conclusion of the WVGSE experience, students will pitch their new venture concepts at “Demo Day” before a panel of judges, bringing together lessons from inside and outside the classroom.  The “Pop Up at the Mall” event bridges the gap between the classroom and the retail floor.  Importantly, the experiential lessons the students take away from the “Pop Up” event will result in improvements and changes to the ideas and business models.     

“For students studying entrepreneurship, it is important to follow the classroom material with experiences in the field” says Olen York, WVGSE 2022 Dean and Director of Entrepreneurship Education at Marshall University’s Lewis College of Business.  “The “Pop Up at the Huntington Mall” event was conceived as giving students an opportunity to build the best lemonade stand that they can at this stage.  The event gives students the best opportunity to interact with consumers and see the results of that work.  And, even in “failure” the students gain invaluable insights and learn tremendous lessons in the process that prepares them for the next phase.”

DETAILS

WHAT:    WV Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship

WHEN:    Saturday, July 2, 2022, and Sunday, July 3, 2022

WHERE:    The Huntington Mall – Center Court – c/o Olen York (olen.york@marshall.edu)

WHO:  WV high school students participating in WV Governor’s School of Entrepreneurship

Follow WVGSE on social media via the following platforms:

Facebook | @GovsSchoolsWV