"Infinity, a JA Company"

       Between November 2009 and May 2010, ten students from Kristi Domrase's class at Martin Luther King Freshman Academy in Benton Harbor started their own JA Company in an afterschool program sponsored by the Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary Club. The company, called "Infinity - A JA Company," marketed stock for start-up money, then sold Benton Harbor High School Tiger t-shirts and hoodies to their fellow students.

       The students chose the name "Infinity" from a list of suggestions because, company spokesperson Sha'yonna tells us, "Infinity stands for power and unity."

       "Infinity" company officers and employees met after school once a week for 16 weeks with their advisors. Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary Club members Bob Kynast, Bob Herman, Bob Elliot, Don Mitchell, and Jim Sykora took alternate weeks as consultant, each adding his own unique experiences and perspective while teaching the students the basics of entrepreneurship.

       The first several meetings were devoted to setting up the company: writing the bylaws, electing officers, and setting salaries. Each officer and worker would be paid a certain amount per meeting attended, depending on his/her job.

       One of the most important decisions at the early meetings was what product the students wanted to sell. Out of all the suggestions, Fred, Vice President of Human Relations, said, "We decided our product by choosing the thing that [we thought] would sell the most," hoodies and t-shirts.

       Next came a "field trip" to talk about production costs with the local company that would manufacture the shirts, and working with a designer to create Infinity's version of the Benton Harbor High School Tiger. Then, the students sold 74 shares of stock at $2 per share to pay the start-up costs.

       Infinity marketing people advertised the shirts and made posters, and the Infinity sales team went out and sold about 250 shirts to friends, relatives, and fellow students.

       Along the way, students also took a field trip to the bank to learn about managing money, opening accounts, and balancing a checkbook. They had the opportunity to address the Benton Harbor Sunrise Rotary Club, and, said Dontrell, Infinity Vice President of Public Relations, "My favorite part in this program was when my voice was being heard in school board meetings!"

       Infinity officers and workers learned many things from their JA experience. Some lessons were obvious: how to run a business, how to manage a bank account, what each member of the work force contributes, how stock works, how difficult it really is to run a company. Some lessons were more subtle and possibly more powerful: Infinity students learned how to work together and cooperate as a team. They saw first-hand how the "unity" aspect of their comany's name contributed to the business's "power" to succeed.

       How successful was Infinity - a JA Company? Consultant Bob Kynast said: "These ten students are dedicated and hard-working teens, and they have really performed in their business. The final [stock] dividend will be more than twice the amount invested, far out-performing any of the normal stocks I own!

"These students are a bright, shining light in their community."

       Students of "Infinity - A JA Company" modeled their product for a group photo. Back row, left to right: Javontae (Sales Person), teacher Kristi Domrase, Maurice (Vice President of Production), Charlesia (Vice President of Marketing), Omari (company president), Dontrell (Vice President of Public Relations), and Tyesha (Sales Person). Front row: Fred (Vice President of Human Resources) and Lorain (Vice President of Finance). Missing from the photo: Sha'yonna (Spokesperson) and Trevin (Sales Person).

Photos on this page courtesy of Flying Spots Photography.