The Knowledge Matters team is passionate about technology, innovation, and education and is dedicated to inspiring today’s youth to pursue their goals and dreams. For decades, Knowledge Matters has been committed to providing experiential learning environments that allow students to transcend the walls of their classroom and gain exposure to managing businesses and developing skills they would have otherwise not had the opportunity to do. We offer nine different Virtual Business simulations in business, marketing, finance, and hospitality and tourism, as well as Collaboration Simulations that allow students to manage their businesses in groups where they may strategize and execute their business decisions together.
While developing educational simulations for 26 years has been exciting and fulfilling, there has been nothing more rewarding than seeing the positive impact our simulations have on students who have experienced them. Through classroom use, scholarship programs, and competitive events based on our simulations, we’ve seen the confidence students exhibit when articulating and making real world connections to their simulated experiences. It is truly fantastic.
If you are new to Virtual Business simulations, or a valued long time school partner, this brochure will offer highlights of the features and benefits available to you and also introduce the newest developments like the Virtual Internship Programs, student scholarship opportunities, Virtual Healthcare-Dental Assistant, and our eDynamic Learning online courseware that integrates seamlessly with the simulations.
Sincerely,
Maureen Ginley, General Manager of Knowledge Matters & The Knowledge Matters Team
Virtual Business - High School
Entrepreneurship Simulation
Students have 20 different businesses that they can launch and grow as they Make the Most of Your Simulation with Aligned Curriculum learn the fundamentals of entrepreneurship. Quickly adopted and in use at high schools across the country, Virtual Business—Entrepreneurship is rapidly becoming the standard for teaching entrepreneurship.
Knowledge Matters simulations allow students to experience real business scenarios and can continually refine their results to optimize outcomes and increase profitability. They offer an interactive, risk-free, game based environment where students can see the impact of their choices immediately.
Lessons Include Features Include
» Shark project — Students sharpen their presentation skills as they pitch their business to classmates and seek investments.
» Business plan project — Teachers award students a loan based on their writtenbusiness plan.
» Mega-mogul project — Grow your business empire (inclu ing starting/owning more than one business).
» Random setups — Every project has unique parameters, so students cannot copy solutions from a classmate.
» Dynamic cities — Students can watch as cities grow or shrink over many years, and students decide how to respond with their entrepreneurial businesses to economic cycles.
Businesses Include
» Pizza Place
» Smoothie Shop
» Hair Salon
» Trampoline Park
» Plumbing Business
» Electrical Business
» Fitness Center
» Coffee Shop
» Ice Cream Shop
» T-Shirt Printing
» Burrito Restaurant
» Lawn Care Services
» DJ Services
» Batting Cage
» Go-Kart Track
» Online Gift Baskets
» Auto Repair Shop
» Physical Therapy
» Bowling Alley
» Catering
¬ Spotting the Opportunity
¬ Market Research
¬ Making the Plunge - Name, Location, Form, & Taxes
Make the Most of Your Simulation with Aligned Curriculum
eDynamic Learning Digital Curriculum is the perfect pairing to our Knowledge Matters Virtual Simulations. Our comprehensive curriculum is a full textbook replacement, providing lessons, reflective discussions, activities, assessments, podcasts, and more.
All of our courses are developed in-house by teachers and subject matter experts offering one consistent and simplistic design and interface. Each course is designed and written with engaging curriculum narratives that employs backwards design methodology to support best practices on how today’s students learn. Each lesson is chunked into bite-sized pieces of text with the integration of visuals to keep students engaged. You can also customize course units and lessons allowing you to personalize your instruction.
We are committed to providing an equitable and accessible curriculum, ensuring that every student is prepared for college or the workforce. Our courses also include a built-in support toolbar which provides a variety of literacy tools and enables text to be translated into dozens of languages for English Language Learners.
In the Entrepreneurship 1a course, students will learn that starting a business is more than just having a good idea. They’ll learn how successful entrepreneurs use and apply fundamental business concepts to turn their ideas into thriving businesses. They’ll explore topics such as identifying the best business structure, business functions and operations, finance, business laws, regulations, and more!
In the Entrepreneurship 1b course, students will learn to apply the concepts they’ve learned in the Entrepreneurship 1a course by completing activities that they can use to help start their own business. They’ll explore different topics representing the major parts of a business plan, such as risk, hiring, pricing, research, marketing, distribution and more.
Fashion Simulation
Virtual Business–Fashion is not just for fashion teachers! Virtual Business– Fashion uses the fashion industry and fashion retailing to teach students many core business concepts: marketing, pricing and markdowns staffing, and retail locations. Virtual Business—Fashion also has a robust social media marketing lesson—using an app within the sim to boost your store’s sales and profits.
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Fashion Marketing
» Entrepreneurship
» Marketing
» Intro to Business
¬ Trend Research
¬ Design
¬ Buying
¬ Pricing & Markdowns
¬ Retail Location
¬ Window Display & Merchandising
¬ Staffing & Selling Strategies
¬ Social Media Promotion
¬ Fashion Financials
¬ Turnaround
¬ Fashion Mogul
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Fashion Simulation
In the Fashion Design course, students will learn how designers pull together fabrics and colors to create memorable pieces. They’ll discover what it takes to get started in the fashion industry, create their own outfit, and demonstrate an understanding of costs, market and production. They’ll find out about the careers available and the new technology and trends reshaping the industry every day
Accounting Simulation
Virtual Business–Fashion is not just for fashion teachers! Virtual Business– Fashion uses the fashion industry and fashion retailing to teach students many core business concepts: marketing, pricing and markdowns staffing, and retail locations. Virtual Business—Fashion also has a robust social media marketing lesson—using an app within the sim to boost your store’s sales and profits.
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Accounting
» Intro to Business
» Management
» Entrepreneurship
» Finance
¬ T-accounts
¬ Using a General Journal
¬ The General Ledger
¬ Worksheets & Adjusting Entries
¬ Financial Statements
¬ Managerial Accounting I
¬ Managerial Accounting II
¬ Ratio Analysis
¬ Forensic Accounting I
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Accounting Simulation
In the Accounting courses, students will unlock the secrets of financial success and learn how to drive a company forward. They’ll learn to analyze financial statements, explore ethical practices, and apply core accounting principles in real-world scenarios. In these courses, students will deepen their understanding of the full accounting cycle, modern accounting tools like payroll and inventory systems, and how internal controls impact business operations—all while managing their own fictional company. These courses are designed to help students think strategically, whether they’re exploring a future in accounting or simply want to understand how to manage the “books” of a business.
¬ Forensic Accounting II
¬ Forensic Accounting III
¬ Run Your Own Business
¬ Project
¬ Bonus: Multiplayer Competition
Sports and Entertainment Simulation
Virtual Business−Sports & Entertainment gives students the opportunity to “work” in the exciting sports and entertainment world. The online simulation teaches students the hard business decisions that go into the sports and entertainment event they enjoy in real life. Students handle promotion, ticket pricing, stadium operations and staffing, sponsors, concessions, concert booking and promotion, and more.
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Sports Marketing
» Marketing
» Management
» Entrepreneurship
¬ Ticket Pricing
¬ Stadium Staffing
¬ Promotion and Social Media
¬ Concessions
¬ Picking & Promoting a Band
¬ Sponsorships
¬ Parking and Revenue
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Sports + Entertainment Simulation
In the Sports & Entertainment Marketing courses, students will learn the world of sports and entertainment is never boring and is a multi-billion dollar industry. They’ll explore basic marketing principles while learning how professional athletes, sports teams, and famous entertainers are marketed as commodities and how the savvy people who handle these deals can become very successful.
¬ Ingress and Egress
¬ Player Management
¬ Sports & Entertainment Mogul
Restaurant Simulation
Virtual Business−Restaurant is the leading online simulation for teaching high school students the key business strategies and principles of restaurant management and ownership. Featuring a large, urban city space and map for your students’ restaurant locations, VB Restaurant uses immersive graphics of a busy restaurant to teach students the man decisions faced by a successful restaurant manager, including social media marketing, menu design, food pricing, and much more.
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Hospitality
» Entrepreneurship
» Marketing
» Intro to Business
¬ Social Media Advertising
¬ Market Research
¬ Location Selection
¬ Financial Statements
¬ Menu Design
¬ Pricing
¬ Purchasing
¬ Layout
¬ Staffing
¬ Marketing
¬ Turnaround
¬ Restaurant Mogul
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Restaurant Simulation
In the Restaurant Management course, students will learn what it takes to manage a restaurant including ordering supplies, hiring quality workers, maintaining inventory, and managing a large staff. They’ll also learn about food safety, hygiene, customer relations, marketing, and using a point-ofsale system. They’ll discover the key steps to operating a casual sit-down eatery, or a fine dining establishment.
Hotel Simulation
Virtual Business−Hotel, our most realistic simulation yet, empowers students to take over the management of a full–service hotel. Developed with the support of the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation, the online simulation draws on industry experts to model the inner workings of a hotel. Students learn the hourly and daily business decisions that go into running a high-end, successful
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Hospitality
» Finance
» Management
» Marketing
» Intro to Business
¬ Pricing & Revenue Management
¬ Group Sales
¬ Marketing & Public Relations
¬ Customer Service: Front Desk
¬ Customer Service: Social Media Feedback
¬ Operations: Restaurant & Culinary
¬ Operations: Banquets & Meetings
¬ Operations: Housekeeping
¬ Financial Reports
¬ Monitoring Competitors
¬ Hotel Mogul
¬ Extra Credit: Mega Hotel Mogul
In partnership with AHLEI, the Virtual Business Hotel sim partially satisfies components of Certification in Hospitality Tourism & Management (CHTMP) and the Hospitality & Tourism Specialist (HTS) credential!into running a high-end, successful
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Hotel Simulation
In the Hotel Management courses students will learn about large and small hotels and their day-to-day operations. They’ll discover trends, technology, financials, laws and regulations, and how to examine the competition. They’ll explore a variety of jobs available, how to develop job descriptions and business plans, and learn what it takes to be a manager in the hotel or restaurant industry.
Retailing Simulation
Virtual Business−Retailing teaches students the business basics and exposes the secrets of retailing. Students learn the tough business decisions that impact their common shopping experiences—why stores are located where they are, how stores decide to price products, and more.
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Intro to Business
» Marketing
» Accounting
» Entrepreneurship
» Finance
¬ Market Research
¬ Product
¬ Place
¬ Pricing
¬ Promotion—Traditional
¬ Promotion—Email
¬ Staffing, Selling, & Customer Service
¬ Purchasing & Inventory Control
¬ Merchandising
¬ Security & Risk Management
¬ Financing & Business Planning
¬ Retailing Mogul
¬ Extra Credit: Turnaround
¬ Extra Credit: Mega Retailing Mogul
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Retailing Simulation
In the Marketing Foundation courses, students will explore the fast-paced and exciting world of marketing in business. They learn business management, customer service, economics, how to perform market research and identify their target market. They learn how to develop branding, advertising and promotional strategies and the legal and ethical considerations of business and marketing.
Personal Finance Simulation
Virtual Business – Management gives your students the chance to be the boss of their own company. With this online simulation, students begin by managing a small facility and controlling limited factors. As they develop their business knowledge, they can lease as much space as they want and grow into manufacturin giants. Students get to make highleve decisions to inform the direction of their business. This sim is ideal for teaching introduction to business, management, supervision, and entrepreneurship.
Lessons Include
¬ Budgeting & Saving
¬ Choosing & Balancing a Checking Account
¬ Getting a Credit Card
¬ Fixing Your Credit
¬ Education & Advancement
¬ Using Online Banking
¬ Paying Your Taxes
¬ Intro to Investing
¬ Time Management and Health
¬ Finding a Job
¬ Finding an Apartment
¬ Buying a Car
¬ Shopping
¬ Risk vs. Return
¬ Diversification
¬ Investing for Retirement
¬ Buying a Home
¬ Insurance
¬ New Career Project
Knowledge Matters is a proud partner of Jump$tart! Coalition in promoting financial literacy and supporting financial education.
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Personal Finance Simulation
In the Personal and Family Finance course students will learn how to spend and save money wisely, and key financial concepts around taxes, credit, and money management. They’ll discover how education, career choices, and financial planning can lead them in the right direction to making life simpler, steadier, and more enjoyable.
Management Simulation
Virtual Business−Management gives your students the chance to be the boss of their own company. With the online simulation, students begin by managing a small facility and controlling limited factors. As they grow in business knowledge, they can lease as much space as they want and grow into manufacturing giants. Students get to decide what they’d do if they were the boss.
Lessons Include Leverage This Simulation in Courses Such As
» Intro to Business
» Management
» Entrepreneurship
» Finance
¬ Recruiting, Resumes, & Hiring
¬ Employee Opinions
¬ Employee Supervision
¬ Strikes, Unions, &
¬ Collective Bargaining
¬ Management Accounting
¬ Pricing & Sales
¬ Operations Management
¬ Business Plan Math
¬ Risk Management & Insurance
¬ Forms of Business Ownership
¬ Management Mogul
¬ Extra Credit: Turnaround
¬ Extra Credit: Mega
¬ Management Mogul
Recommended Curriculum Pairing for the Management Simulation
In the Management courses, students will learn that effective management is key to any organization’s success. They’ll tackle topics on leadership, managing teams, entrepreneurship, global business, finance, and technology and innovation. They’ll also gain an understanding about HR, the rules and laws they must follow and how to become an effective manager in any career field.
Virtual Business - Challenges
DECA/Knowledge Matters Digital Presentation Skills Challenge
The new DECA/Knowledge Matters Digital Presentation Skills Challenge will test your students’ skills at creating and delivering a digital presentation. Free to participate for any student member of a high school DECA chapter. Open to any DECA chapter that has at least one active license to a Virtual Business simulation.
Thank you to all the students who participated in the 2024 KMI/DECA Digital Presentation Skills Challenge!
2025 Challenge Winners
2025 DECA ICDC Virtual Business Challenge Winners
Meet the 2025 ICDC VBC Winners
First Place Winner - Aariv M. from Rock High School in Round Rock , Texas (Restaurant Sim)
Ryyan K. from Reedy High School in Frisco, Texas (Sports and Entertainment Sim)
Vaneesha K. from Centennial High School in Frisco, Texas (Personal Finance Sim)
Nikhil Nare, Parim Shah, & Reuben Cummings, Richard Montgomery High School, MD
Albert Zhang, Syosset High School, NY
Sree Harsha Rebba & Atharv Gupta, Rouse High School, TX
Alden Wang & Nathan Yan, St. Francis Xavier Secondary School, ON, Canada
Grace Xu & Emily Tang, Valley Christian High School, CA
Zayan Siraj, Sathvik Chintha, & Bhuvan Kanna, Round Rock High School, TX
Christopher Ma, Eason Huang, & Zacharaya Araya, Abbey Park High School, ON, Canada
Hear What Educators Have to Say
Learn more about the great experiences our teachers have using the Virtual Business simulations in their classrooms across the country.
Virtual Business All-Access Scholarship Challenges
¬ Two opportunities to win each year that are exclusive to Virtual Business All-Access license holders
¬ Added features to monitor student progress data and engagement
¬ Increase student usage by reinforcing concepts during challenge practice
Upcoming Virtual Business Challenge dates
DECA VBC
Registration Starts: September 30, 2025
Round One: October 14, 2025 – October 24, 2025
Round Two: January 13, 2026 – January 23, 2026
VBC Accounting Mini Challenge
The dates for the mini-challenges for the first qualifying round are: October 15, 2025 – October 23, 2025
The dates for the mini-challenges for the second qualifying round are: January 14, 2026 – January 22, 2026
DECA/Knowledge Matters Digital Presentation Skills Challenge January 2, 2026 - January 30, 2026
FBLA
Registration Starts: September 30, 2025
Round One: October 14, 2025 – November 7, 2025
Round Two: February 2, 2026 – February 27, 2026
FCCLA
Registration Starts: September 30, 2025
Round One: October 14, 2025 – November 7, 2025
Round Two: February 2, 2026 – February 27, 2026
BPA
Registration Starts: January 20, 2026
Single Round: February 2, 2026 – February 27, 2026
Virtual Business All-Access Scholarship Fall Round 10/6/25 – 10/17/25
Virtual Business All-Access Scholarship Spring Round 3/30/26 – 4/10/26
Win Up to $5,000 in Student Scholarships!
Knowledge Matters
Virtual Business In Action
Dental Assistant Simulation
Experience a day in the life of a healthcare provider with our Virtual Healthcare Medical Assistant Simulation Students are taken out of the abstract and put into the reality of a medical office, allowing them to gain a better understanding of how to fulfill duties typical of a medical assistant. From checking in patients to point of-care testing, blood draws, medication administration, and working with diverse patients with varied needs, students will gain confidence in their ability to deliver quality patient care.
Dental Assistant Pathway
In the Personal and Family Finance course students will learn how to spend and save money wisely, and key financial concepts around taxes, credit, and money management. They’ll discover how education, career choices, and financial planning can lead them in the right direction to making life simpler, steadier, and more enjoyable.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
Year 4
Medical Assistant Simulation
Experience a day in the life of a healthcare provider with our Virtual Healthcare Medical Assistant Simulation Students are taken out of the abstract and put into the reality of a medical office, allowing them to gain a better understanding of how to fulfill duties typical of a medical assistant. From checking in patients to point of-care testing, blood draws, medication administration, and working with diverse patients with varied needs, students will gain confidence in their ability to deliver quality patient care.
Medical Assistant Pathway
Industry certifications are pivotal in preparing students for lucrative careers in high-demand fields. With the healthcare sector’s continuous expansion, the need for skilled medical assistants is growing due to the aging population and increased demand for preventative medical services. Our Health Science courses offer an optimal foundation for students to embark on this enriching career journey. Through our comprehensive curriculum, students delve into various aspects of medical assistance, from grasping anatomy and physiology concepts to mastering administrative duties within a medical office.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
eDynamic Learning Virtual Internship Programs
Our Virtual Internship Programs can set your students on a career-ready path for a successful future. This yearlong program is designed to prepare students prior to stepping into the workplace, and gives them opportunities to test and try concepts in a risk-free simulated environment. And unlike a physical internship experience, your students will get to experience and manage all aspects of running a business, including staffing, operations, marketing, finance, sales, and much more. They’ll get to uncover which areas they like most and wish to focus on in the real world, or major in at college.
Nine Virtual Internships to offer your Students
Access all nine with the Virtual Internship All-Access Program
Two Products, One Goal.
Key Benefits
Designed in partnership with real businesses
Aids students in developing the top 10 employability skills and work-based competencies that companies seek
Gives students an outlet to reflect on their future and hone in on areas in their desired field
LMS Compatibility
Gives teachers all the lessons, activities, tools, and resources to help students find success
A perfect year-long program that pairs nicely with many CTE pathways
Includes an exciting end-of-year research capstone for students to use as a portfolio project
Expand the Benefits of Knowledge Matters with Career Exploration
Expand career connected learning with career exploration supplemental and comprehensive curriculum from eDynamic Learning. Learning Blade’s interactive missions, appropriate for grades 5-9, provide interactive supplemental lessons and activities that are proven to increase career interests in a variety of high-demand areas including computer science, STEM, and CTE careers. And with over 270 titles, our Digital Curriculum’s comprehensive courses offer unique elective and career courses for students to explore a variety of professions and receive the knowledge and preparation needed to make life-shaping decisions prior to high school. Our digital curriculum can serve as a textbook replacement or supplement the classroom curriculum with tailored resources and assessments catering to diverse student needs, fostering personalized learning experiences.
Are you interested in business, leading people, or making decisions to help a business be successful? While there are many different career choices in the field of business, in this course, you’ll discover options such as management, human resources, business operations, information management, and accounting. Explore the skills you’ll need, common tasks, the technology used, and characteristics of various business careers.
Unit 1: In Charge: The Manager: What about overseeing a college campus or sports stadium? These are just a few of the types of careers that can be found in the General Management career pathway.
Unit 2: Handling Information: Business Information Management: Did you know that there is an entire pathway of careers that use business skills while also focusing on technology?
Unit 3: Overseeing Humans: Managing Human Resources: From teaching, to giving advice, and even conducting investigations, Human Resources Management careers do it all.
Learning Blade Middle School Missions
Learning Blade allows seamless integration of STEM, Computer Science, and CTE concepts for students in grades 5-9 through 13 engaging missions and 4 supplemental modules. Ready-to-use online student lessons for math, science, social students, and language arts, aligned to state standards, with corresponding lesson plans for teachers. Each mission introduces students to STEM and CTE careers and technologies, helping them “see what they can be” in the future.
Digital Curriculum For Career & Technical Education (CTE)
Our digital curriculum integrates interpersonal and employability skills for college and career readiness throughout each course to foster a growth mindset, communication skills, respect and empathy of others, appropriate behavior, critical thinking skills, and active listening.
Knowledge Matters Simulations
Simulations immerse students in realistic business and healthcare scenarios, allowing them to practice decision-making and problemsolving in a safe, controlled environment. By engaging in interactive simulations, students can better understand complex processes and improve their practical skills.
Greenways Academy Instructional Services
Simulations immerse students in realistic business and healthcare scenarios, allowing them to practice decision-making and problemsolving in a safe, controlled environment. By engaging in interactive simulations, students can better understand complex processes and improve their practical skills.
