Entrepreneurship

KEN LAYDEN '80 PROGRAM

A PROUD PARTNER OF THE VEALE YOUTH ENTREPRENEURSHIP FORUM

Named in honor of Ken Layden, a 1980 graduate of St. Edward High School, the Layden Entrepreneurship Program was founded in 2008 with the goal of promoting entrepreneurial competencies in the young men of St. Edward High School. The course is built upon a framework provided by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Planning The Entrepreneurial Venture, and is supplemented by guest instructors from the St. Edward community and the Greater Cleveland area. The Layden Prize is an endowed scholarship providing funding for higher educational learning or furthering their entrepreneurial studies to the winners of the annual business competition.

GOALS

Instill in students an appreciation for entrepreneurship as a business strategy, lifestyle, and worldview
Engage students in real-world problems of practice through the business planning process
Inspire student leadership and teamwork in a competitive environment
Develop ethical and moral decision making skills in future leaders of society
Increase the general business knowledge and business communication skills of students

Students meet with the teacher and guest experts in the business community. Students learn in class, online, and independently, developing their communication skills in the practice of entrepreneurial thinking and business planning. Mentorship by volunteers from alumni and local business communities is an essential component of the course. Students compete in teams of two for the Layden Prize.

ABOUT KEN LAYDEN '80

After graduating from St. Edward in 1980, Ken Layden received his BA in Business and Finance from The Ohio State University in 1984. His passion for business, combined with his entrepreneurial spirit, helped Ken achieve great success as a business and marketing leader for some of America's top companies. His fond memories of his time at St. Edward inspired him to set up a unique program to educate young men in the field of business and entrepreneurship. Ken wished to enable future generations to achieve the kind of success that he enjoyed throughout his life. Ken died in January of 2008 after years of a courageous battle with cancer.