Writer / Kevin Conrad, CGSportsNetwork.com
The next successful business owner in Johnson County might currently be sitting in a high school classroom.
That student could be mowing lawns after school, detailing cars on weekends, baking desserts for neighbors or selling clothing online.
With determination, guidance and community support, those small businesses can become something much bigger.
High School Hustle is making that possibility a reality by connecting teenagers with the tools, mentorship and financial opportunities needed to become entrepreneurs.
Its mission goes beyond making money. It’s about developing confident, capable young people who can contribute to their communities for years to come.
An Idea Rooted in Opportunity
High School Hustle began when Scott Lingle received a request from Jay Height, who leads Shepherd Community Center on Indianapolis’ near east side, to develop an entrepreneurship program for underserved teenagers.
Lingle understood the potential. Growing up, he delivered newspapers, mowed lawns and flipped bicycles before eventually becoming an entrepreneur himself.
“The problem we saw was fear,” Lingle recalled. “A lot of teenagers think you have to be the smartest person in the room, or come from money, to build something.”
The program started with 15 students, with 12 achieving the initial goal of generating $400 in business revenue.
Entrepreneur Peter Servaas later joined Lingle, recognizing the program’s potential to reach far more teenagers.
“I would love to join you. Let’s see if we can 10X this,” Servaas recalled telling Lingle.
Together, the co-founders helped build an organization now reaching across the country.
According to the founders, more than 3,400 students have signed up across 36 states, generating more than $3.2 million in combined business revenue.
Students are encouraged to launch businesses for $500 or less, find customers, track sales and compete for financial awards. High School Hustle awarded $150,000 in prizes in 2026, with more than $200,000 planned for 2027.
A Young Entrepreneur at Center Grove
Center Grove High School student Grant Sowders is already putting those principles into practice.
Inspired by his father, Sowders started a lawn care business at just 11 years old. He discovered High School Hustle during a school lunch period and joined to connect with other ambitious students.
Running a business while attending school has taught him responsibility, organization and persistence.
“I’ve learned one of the hardest things in business is the technical and scheduling side of things,” Sowders explained.
He balances online classes, lawn care customers and work with his father’s business.
Sowders reinvests most of his earnings, hoping to expand into landscaping, tree removal and excavating before eventually entering real estate.
His motivation is simple: “I keep hustling because of the drive to be different and what my end goals are.”
Encouraging Young Women to Think Bigger
High School Hustle emphasizes that entrepreneurship isn’t limited to traditional businesses such as lawn care or landscaping.
Schyler Conrad, the organization’s director of marketing and partnerships and a Center Grove High School graduate, is passionate about encouraging more young women to become entrepreneurs.
Conrad understands the journey firsthand. In September 2024, she founded Eclara’s, a secondhand and vintage retail shop in downtown Bloomington.
Starting without an established customer base, she built a profitable business in its first year and sold the original location in March 2026. Today, she’s working to expand Eclara’s through franchising.
“The biggest lesson was that nobody starts out ready,” Conrad said. “You learn by opening the doors, finding what’s broken, and working at it until it isn’t.”
Conrad believes teenage girls often underestimate the business potential of their talents.
“They resell clothes, bake, make jewelry, and do hair and nails. And we have a habit of calling those things hobbies.”
Her message to parents is that these activities can be legitimate introductions to entrepreneurship. “These girls are finding customers, setting prices, and earning their own money. They’re business owners,” Conrad said.
High School Hustle connects girls with female mentors and relatable role models to help them recognize what’s possible.
“Confidence doesn’t come before the first step. It comes from taking it.”
Why Community Support Makes a Difference
Mateo Cedano, High School Hustle’s director of community development, believes relationships are among the program’s greatest strengths.
“Mentorship may be the most important thing we give students,” he said. “A teenager can learn how to power wash from YouTube. What they cannot get from YouTube is a network.”
Cedano points to former Arsenal Tech student David Arellano, whose pressure-washing business benefited from an introduction to a local property management company. That connection helped Arellano generate $25,000 in business revenue, demonstrating how one opportunity can change a young person’s future.
“Local businesses and community supporters are the engine behind everything we do,” Cedano explained.
“They fund the prizes, they mentor students, and many become a student’s first customer.”
Support comes in many forms. Banks and financial institutions can sponsor competitions or individual schools. Local businesses can provide mentorship, financial assistance, purchase student services or connect entrepreneurs with customers.
STAR Financial Bank and Old National Bank were among the supporters of the 2026 season.
Businesses can participate at different sponsorship levels, from supporting an individual school to an entire state.
Investing in the Next Generation
For parents, High School Hustle offers a pathway for teenagers to develop confidence, responsibility, leadership and financial awareness.
For young women, it’s encouragement to transform talents and interests into genuine business opportunities.
And for local companies, banks and entrepreneurs, it’s an opportunity to invest in tomorrow’s business and community leaders.
Today’s teenager mowing a neighbor’s lawn or selling handmade jewelry might someday become a successful business owner, employer or mentor.
That’s an investment in the future of our community.
To enroll a student, become a mentor or explore sponsorship opportunities, visit highschoolhustle.org.
