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Future Builders Set to Launch T-shirt Business June 27

Future Builders Set to Launch T-shirt Business June 27
The Future Builders sold shirts at a pop-up shop in The Foundry.
Starting their business from the ground up, 22 entrepreneurial students from high schools in Lincoln will showcase their work at The Future Builders Business Launch Event on Wednesday, June 27, 5-7 p.m. Hosted at Howard L. Hawks Hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, the event will showcase the student’s business and include a runway show of T-shirt designs that signify the positive local impact they aspire to have in Nebraska. The launch event is open to the public with no registration required.

Chosen to take part in the Future Builders program after taking the Gallup’s Builder Profile 10 assessment, each student showed the aptitude to become an entrepreneur, innovator and builder. This select group of 22 out of 3,200 students given the assessment were invited to participate in the intensive month-long program.

“The Future Builders have been challenged throughout the program to learn about their strengths through practice. Whether they were coordinating events in the classroom or selling T-shirts around the Lincoln community, students were able to see how they naturally excel,” said Taylor Lofdahl, program coordinator of the Clifton Strengths Institute. “Using this knowledge, the Future Builders were asked to create their own teams at each step of the process, acknowledging their own talents and those of their peers to best accomplish individual and team goals to create a successful business.”

The Future Builders pose in their shirts designed by themselves.
The Future Builders pose in their shirts designed by themselves.
During the program, the students addressed goals identified in the Prosper Lincoln community agenda, a list of three objectives that Prosper Lincoln created when they asked the city of Lincoln, “What should our community do to ensure youth are successful, our economy grows and our community is strong and vibrant?” Local entrepreneurs and business leaders guide the students to develop their strengths, entrepreneurial skills, leadership and dedication to build a successful team and profitable T-shirt business.

“Each of the designs reflects social causes the students wanted to bring attention to in the Lincoln community. One shirt has equality on the front of it, with the students thinking ‘How can we show each other kindness and respect?’ Another shirt is designed on finding your happy place, where you go to find hope, motivation and positivity. The ‘Power to the Future’ shirts are about inspiring young people to innovate and build something new in Nebraska. Finally, there are ‘Bee Happy’ shirts, which hope to spread awareness about saving the bees. One future builder has his own bee business, and says supporting the bees would be beneficial to Lincoln farmers,” said Samantha Kennelly, assistant director of the institute. “By wearing the shirt, you’re showing that you’re supportive of not only these students, but building a better community.”

Attendees have the opportunity to purchase the T-shirts after the launch at 5 p.m. The first hour of the event will consist of opening remarks followed by the opportunity to purchase T-shirts to support these Builders and their business.
The Future Builders program in Lincoln is sponsored by Gallup, Nelnet, Spreetail, Bill Cintani, Lincoln Industries, The Jim and Penny Krieger Family Foundation, Prosper Lincoln, Don't Panic Labs, Ameritas, Lincoln Community Foundation, Select Lincoln | Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools, Assurity Life Insurance Company, The Strengths Lab, Accelerate Nebraska and the Clifton Strengths Institute at the College of Business.
Published: June 25, 2018