This summer, Eden Prairie High School student Aarav Pancholi received sponsorship from First Western Bank & Trust of Eden Prairie to participate in a week-long summer business camp, Minnesota Business Venture (MBV). Another Eden Prairie High School student, Donald Le, also received sponsorship from Choice Bank in Eagan to attend the program.
The program is developed and organized by BestPrep, a Minnesota nonprofit dedicated to preparing students with business, career and financial literacy skills through hands-on learning. A total of 386 students from 115 schools attended this year and were selected to receive scholarships to participate at one of two MBV sessions hosted at the University of St. Thomas.
At MBV, small groups of students called “companies” spent the week developing an imaginary product or service. The students created a business plan and presented it to a panel of professionals with the hopes of gaining a loan approval. While the proposals were theoretical, the ideas presented are meant to be a realistic representation of how companies run their businesses. Students in each company were mentored and guided throughout the week by professionals from local companies.
Aarav said, “My week at MBV was a very educational experience. It was a new experience as I was staying at a college campus and had a schedule, and I learned a lot through my week here in the fields of finance and marketing. I really enjoyed the experience and would hope others try this camp as well.”
The students engaged in other activities throughout the week, with projects being organized by day in a thematic approach, including Dare to Dream Day, Financial Freedom Day, Career Day, and Empowerment Day. Activities included guest keynote speakers, scavenger hunts, and mock interviews.
BestPrep’s Minnesota Business Venture has been around since 1981 and has more than 11,000 program alumni. MBV is sponsored by many other companies and organizations including 3M, Arby’s Foundation and Arby’s Restaurant Group, Cargill, Piper Sandler Companies, the Richard M. Schulze Family Foundation, Ecolab, and Voya Financial.
The 2026 sessions will be held in June and July at the University of St. Thomas. Registration will open this winter.
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