BUSINESS, ENTREPRENEURSHIP, & INNOVATION
Mission: To prepare the next generation of principled entrepreneurial leaders to serve and impact their communities and the world.
Key Verse: “Use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms” (1 Peter 4:10-11).
Facilities: BEI Center for Faith Driven Entrepreneurship | Innovation Lab | Walley’s Student Store
ACHIEVEMENTS
• 2023-24 & 2022-23 DECA School-Based Enterprise (SBE) Gold Certificate
• 2023-24 Largest DECA NorCal Chapter
• 2022-23 Conrad Challenge (Entrepreneurship & Innovation) Winner
• 2022-23 & 2016 Diamond Challenge Semifinalists
• 2021-24 Three consecutive DECA Chapter Leader of the Year Awards – VC DECA Co-President
• 2021-22 California DECA Advisor of the Year Award
• 2021-22 DECA Virtual Business Challenge Internationals (ICDC) – Third Place
• 2019 World Vision Social Innovation Challenge Winner ($25,000 prize) - Team H2Go to deliver an innovative clean water solution in Sogod, Philippines (installed clean water solution 2021)
• 2019-20 CA DECA State President
• 2019 DECA Internationals (ICDC) Winners
• 2017 Model Entrepreneur Winner
• 2017 MIT Launch Finalist
• 10 years and 650+ Student Participants – President’s Business Challenge
• 120+ Mentors worked with students
• 20+ Quest Incubator student startups & nonprofits
BEI OVERVIEW
BEI provides students with resources and training by experiencing the entrepreneurial process. It fosters entrepreneurship by helping students develop their faith-driven entrepreneurial mindset through a dynamic blend of school-day courses and hands-on, co-curricular learning opportunities. With BEI’s focus on experiential learning, students gain foundational knowledge and skills to launch their innovative ideas into business opportunities. Students learn firsthand how to creatively solve problems with a focus on technology innovation through an entrepreneurial lens as they further their entrepreneurial pursuits.
Students develop essential soft skills alongside academic knowledge through speaker events, in-person mentorships, and leadership development all while having access to a professional network of expertise. These skills and experiences will prepare them for the challenges and opportunities they will encounter in their personal, educational, and professional lives. BEI is creating future faith-driven, principled leaders, empowering them to lead, serve, and impact their communities and the world.
CENTER FOR FAITH DRIVEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP
The Center for Faith Driven Entrepreneurship provides a central hub for business-minded students to innovate, collaborate, and launch their startup ideas. As students pursue their God-given call to create and transform the world, the Center provides the expertise, support, and space students need to develop an entrepreneurial mindset and leadership grounded in faith-based principles.
DISTINCTIVES
• Marks of a Faith Driven Entrepreneur - Students explore their God-given creativity and calling to find innovative solutions to complex problems. They learn the Marks of a Faith Driven Entrepreneur as defined by Henry Kaestner, J.D. Greear, and Chip Ingram, co-authors of Faith Driven Entrepreneur The integration of faith and work, alongside living out Christian principles, are foundational to the BEI program.
• Twenty-First-Century Skills - Our diverse and ever-changing world requires a multidimensional approach to learning. Our hands-on approach embraces the twenty-first-century skills that will best serve the next generation of principled leaders. Students are challenged to actively apply the Four C Learning Skills (Communication, Collaboration, Critical Thinking, and Creativity) as they approach problems and consider solutions.
• Design Thinking Approach - Design Thinking is a human-centered, problem-solving approach emphasizing empathy, collaboration, and experimentation. These principles and methodologies bolster the adaptable entrepreneurial mindset necessary to thrive in today’s rapidly changing business landscape.
• Sustainable Development Global Goals - BEI uses the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals, a collection of seventeen global objectives that envision a more just planet that is safer, healthier, and inclusive, to inspire students to pursue socially responsible entrepreneurship and contribute to a sustainable future.
STUDENT EXPERIENCE
ACADEMICS
The business and entrepreneurship curriculum is taught through elective course offerings. Many BEI staff and faculty bring years of real-world business and technology experience into the classroom to prepare students comprehensively to be future industry leaders.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
• Programs - Students develop leadership skills in decision making, communication, teamwork, and organization through opportunities such as officer positions in co-curricular programs, internships, mentorship, school-wide events, student-run clubs, and studentinitiated startups. Faculty and staff provide a supportive and nurturing environment with necessary resources and guidance to grow these skills.
• Career Development - Students explore different career options and network with industry experts through speaker events and mentorship relationships. Our network includes C-suite executives, entrepreneurs, and leading Silicon Valley technologists who successfully integrate faith into their work.
• Mentorship - Through the President’s Business Challenge (PBC) and Quest Incubator (QI), student teams learn from technology and business experts who serve as mentors. These experiences allow students to practice communication, collaboration, and networking with experienced professionals.
• Events - We coordinate off-campus trips for students to experience different professional settings through headquarters tours, conferences, competitions, and innovative business sites.
• Quest Talks Speaker Series - The Quest Talks Speaker Series introduces students to respected Silicon Valley leaders who inspire and challenge their leadership and innovation skills and broaden their career options. 2023-2024 Speakers
• Jones Chan, Supplement & Food Innovator, Thess Bar
• Dorcas Cheng-Tozun, VCHS Business Teacher, Social Enterprise Professional, and Author
• Jess Chin, Marketing & Tech Exec, Nike, WhatsApp, Apple
• Nathan Lord, Head of System Software, Human.e
• David Tsao, Chief Information Security Officer, Instacart
• Mark Weiner, VCHS Business Teacher & Technology Program Manager, Amazon, Cisco, Apple
• David White, Director, Speech Products at Google
Past Notable Speakers
• Angela Ahrendts, SVP Retail, Apple; former CEO, Burberry
• Chi Hua Chien, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Goodwater Capital
• Kevin Compton, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Radar Partners
• Richard Farrell, CEO, Full Armor Corporation
• Pat Gelsinger, CEO, Intel
• Henry Kaestner, Co-Founder BAND, Sovereign’s Capital, FaithDrivenEntrepreneur.org, FaithDrivenInvestor.org & GenerosityBayArea.org
• Luke Roush, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Sovereign’s Capital
• Dr. Jyotika Virmani, Sr. Director, Planet & Environment and XPRIZE CEO,
DISCOVER BEI | ELEMENTARY
The Discover BEI program is based on the premise that every student is creative and has unique talents to share. VCES students develop creative-thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills through our programs and classes. These offerings introduce the concepts of entrepreneurship through hands-on, project-based learning opportunities grounded in biblical principles.
We emphasize the importance of serving others by donating all student proceeds to a Christian charity, and weaving the value of giving to others into the curriculum. BEI high school students mentor, instruct, and guide our budding innovators during the after-school programs.
ACADEMICS
Creative Design Thinking (5th Grade)
Creative Design Thinking is a problem-solving approach at the heart of entrepreneurship and innovation. This elective class introduces the concept of creative, hands-on problem solving through a five-step design thinking process.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Lemonade Day (3rd-5th Grade)
In this experiential, interactive after-school program, students develop their entrepreneurial mindset by starting and operating a lemonade stand.
The Young Expressionists
VCHS students created and lead after-school and summer programs in various subjects, including story creation, creative writing, science, character design, and more.
Market Day Mentorship (4th Grade)
VCHS Quest Incubator students mentor fourth-grade students as they prepare for the annual Market Day sale to their peers during the spring semester. Leading up to the sale, student teams meet with their high school mentors to develop a product idea and a business plan.
EXPLORE BEI | JUNIOR HIGH
The Explore BEI program encourages every junior high student to creatively solve real-world challenges through entrepreneurship, developing products from concept to pitch. Our students enhance creative-thinking, problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills through various learning opportunities, both inside and outside the classroom, grounded in biblical principles and hands-on, project-based experiences.
ACADEMICS
Creative Design Thinking
This elective encourages students to become creative problem solvers through experiential learning. The course introduces the design thinking process of empathy, ideation, and rapid prototyping through interactive projects and activities. Students will learn that failure, iteration, and perseverance are part of the design thinking journey toward success.
DIY Start-A-Business
Students develop an entrepreneurial mindset by learning critical thinking, communication, collaboration, and creativity through starting a business. This elective combines lessons from startups and social entrepreneurs with hands-on activities guided by mentors to solve real-world problems and enhance teamwork and feedback skills.
Launch-A-Business
Building on the DIY Start-A-Business class and our Explore Entrepreneurship after-school program, this elective involves starting an on-campus business. It covers all aspects of small business operations, from idea evaluation to product sales and performance analysis.
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Explore Entrepreneurship
This after-school program is a condensed version of the DIY Start-A-Business class. It teaches students to take a business idea from creation to pitch through brainstorming, market analysis, prototyping, and pitch preparation.
Money $marts
High school students from the Quest Incubator program teach personal finance and stewardship after school to junior high students, introducing foundational money management concepts through an age-appropriate curriculum.
Speech & Debate
This is an eight-week, after-school program that teaches the foundations of effective communication.
EXPERIENCE BEI | HIGH SCHOOL
Valley Christian High School’s BEI program equips and guides students in the entrepreneurial process. With a focus on experiential learning, students gain foundational knowledge and skills needed to turn their innovative ideas into business opportunities. Through course electives and co-curricular programs focused on technology innovation, students learn to creatively solve problems within communities and target markets through an entrepreneurial lens. BEI is on the cutting edge of creating faith-driven, principled leaders who are wellprepared to serve and impact their communities and the world.
ACADEMICS
The BEI umbrella covers business, computer science, and engineering elective curriculum offerings under the VCHS Biz-Tech department.
Business
• Business Fundamentals
• Entrepreneurship Honors
• Entrepreneurship Practicum Honors
• Personal Finance (Dual Credit)
• Social Innovation Honors
Computer Science
• Intro to Artificial Intelligence*
• Intro to Computer Science (Python)
• AP Computer Science A (Java)
Engineering
• PLTW Intro to Engineering Design Honors
• PLTW Principles of Engineering Honors
• AP Computer Science Principles (JavaScript)
• Fundamentals of Cybersecurity
• Data Science and Algorithms Honors
• Mobile App Development* *not offered every year
LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Events
We coordinate off-campus trips for students to experience professional settings through headquarters tours, conferences, competitions, and innovative business sites. We also actively support students as they take part in conferences and competitions.
• Quest Talks Career Exploration Speaker Series
• Competitions - Diamond Challenge, Technovation, Conrad Challenge, MIT Launch
• Entrepreneurship Conferences - Enactus World Cup, Stanford Business for Women
• Campus Tours - Santa Clara University Ciocca Center for Innovation, Stanford University Design School
• Corporate Headquarters Tours - Google, Walmart, Adobe, Sharks Entertainment
• Cornell Silicon Valley Student Startup Showcase
Clubs
Student-run clubs connect like-minded students who share interests and passions. Examples of clubs include Civic Engagement and Public Service, Girls Who Code, Investment, Model UN, Personal Finance, Programming, Women in Business, Sports Analytics, Visual Development, and Web Design Sync. Note that high school clubs are subject to change each year.
DECA
Established in 2014, the VC DECA program is the largest student organization at VCHS, with over 200 student participants each year. VC DECA prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for marketing, finance, management, and hospitality careers. Students engage in business workshops, competitive events, community activities, professional development, and leadership opportunities, while also attending regional, state, and international competitions and conferences.
Throughout the year, VC DECA officer teams mentor small cohorts of students through the DECA process, including competition practice and preparation. The chapter is a member of DECA, Inc., an international nonprofit organization that supports members worldwide.
Competition season begins in the fall with a Mock Conference (VCMC). The event helps students and teams fine-tune written exams, role-plays, and written presentations in preparation for three business competitions in the spring.
These students also lead multiple community engagement projects impacting VCS and the broader communities. Past projects have included teaching financial literacy in underserved schools, hosting a hack-a-thon for Bay Area teens, and teaching sales and marketing to VCS elementary students.
To participate in VC DECA, students must be enrolled in or have taken a VCHS business class (e.g. Business Fundamentals, Entrepreneurship Honors, Social Innovation Honors, or Personal Finance). Per DECA, Inc. policy, non-VCHS courses do not qualify for DECA enrollment.
PRESIDENT’S BUSINESS CHALLENGE
The President’s Business Challenge (PBC) is a capstone project in the Entrepreneurship Honors class where students form teams to develop a comprehensive business plan for a startup solving a real-world problem.
Students learn to collaborate as a team, think critically, problem solve, and design creative solutions. Teams interface with a dedicated mentor with relevant industry experience as they present their business idea in a series of pitches. Finalist teams have the opportunity to present their business to leading venture capitalists and may receive prize money to start their venture.
Students participating in PBC:
• Learn core business concepts and gain collaboration skills in a startup team structure
• Innovate and problem solve to develop creative solutions that are viable, sustainable, and scalable business opportunities
• Develop effective communication skills as they interface with Silicon Valley venture capitalists, speakers, and mentors
• Create a startup pitch deck and presentation that includes their solution, market analysis, competitive analysis, go-to-market strategy, projected budgets, and an exit strategy
• Write an executive summary of their startup
• Present in front of multiple rounds of judges: mock, formal, semifinal, and finalist round
To participate in PBC, students must have taken Business Fundamentals and be enrolled in the Entrepreneurship Honors class.
SOCIAL INNOVATION CHALLENGE
As the capstone project of the Social Innovation Honors course, students work closely in teams and with a local nonprofit or city agency to address current social challenges faced by the community. Experienced community leaders mentor teams and use the design thinking process to develop innovative, implementable solutions that can tangibly improve quality of life for others. Students learn how to engage in field research, interview users and experts, prototype solutions, work with diverse stakeholders, and present proposals to city and community leaders, all in the context of a real-world social issue that is causing harm and urgently requires a solution.
Students participating in Social Innovation:
• Gain a deeper understanding of real-world challenges faced by our communities
• Conduct user interviews and engage in field research to better understand the problems
• Practice rapid prototyping and testing to refine their solutions
• Work collaboratively with their peers and community leaders
• Develop a professional pitch and written proposal to be shared with community leaders
• Present before elected officials, city staff, and other key community stakeholders
QUEST INCUBATOR
The Quest Incubator (QI) program provides a year-long opportunity for student teams to launch startups or nonprofits. Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and leaders provide mentorship to guide them as they innovate, collaborate, and launch their startup ideas. Students learn to project manage, communicate, problem solve, and develop creative solutions for real-world applications.
Students can attend seminars, workshops, and roundtable discussions during the year to learn from entrepreneurs and industry experts. As part of DEMO DAY, students refine their ideas and present them to industry professionals. They also lead student workshops and support one another in their business ventures.
QI is open to students who participated in the PBC, Social Innovation Challenge, or have comparable experience launching a product or service. Students are selected through an application process that opens during the spring semester with limited space available.
SPEECH & DEBATE
The Speech and Debate programs are competitive experiences in which students attend tournaments, such as the Coast Forensics League, to sharpen their skills. Speech focuses on writing and presentation, while Debate promotes effective research, teamwork, and nuanced argumentation.
Guided by a Christian worldview, Speech and Debate students tackle a diverse set of cultural, political, and social topics. Students attend workshops and peer review sessions to hone their research, writing, and oratory skills in a culture of learning and encouragement. Experienced coaches and facilitators teach and model Christian character and strong ethical principles as they learn to communicate effectively and compete with integrity.
MISSION STATEMENT
Valley Christian Schools’ mission is to provide a nurturing environment o ering quality education supported by a strong foundation of Christian values in partnership with parents, equipping students to become leaders to serve God, to serve their families, and to positively impact their communities and the world.
VISION STATEMENT
A world where every student pursues their personal Quest for Excellence™
FOUNDING STATEMENT
Valley Christian Schools supports the homes and churches of students in providing an education that is grounded in the Judeo-Christian values of the Bible, as reflected in the life and teaching of Jesus Christ. Valley Christian Schools is committed to a Quest for Excellence™ in all of its educational programs, and provides a comprehensive kindergarten through twelfth grade curriculum with a rigorous college preparatory program. Firmly founded on Christian values, Valley Christian Schools challenges youth to aspire toward lives of character, service, and influence while pursuing their individual Quests for Excellence
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