Keeping a Promise to a Young Entrepreneur

(and a Trip to Paris)

Author

Stephen Carter
January 12, 2026

Quick note—don’t miss your chance to be part of one of the most energizing events of 2026: the Entrepreneurship Symposium for Christian Schools. Whether you’re building an entrepreneurship program or ready to launch one, this gathering will accelerate your impact.

Last week, I sat at a small table in the back of a crowded restaurant in the Latin Quarter of Paris and had the best beef bourguignon of my life.

Sitting across from me was one of the most inspirational young entrepreneurs I know.

I first met Andrew when he was in 8th grade. His family owned a farm near Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy, and as we were preparing to launch an entrepreneurship teaching kitchen connected to our greenhouse, I was meeting with local farmers. Andrew tagged along with his mom—and immediately began asking thoughtful questions about the kitchen space.

Then he started naming chefs. Gordon Ramsay. Sean Brock. Thomas Keller. Anthony Bourdain.

I was impressed.

I asked him to look at an empty warehouse space and imagine what it could become—a place where he could take his culinary passion seriously and push it as far as possible.

A few weeks later, Andrew enrolled at the school. Over the course of his high school career, he went on to build one of the most compelling student ventures I’ve ever seen in a K–12 setting.

With a team of his peers, he launched The Supper Club—a fine-dining experience housed in the teaching kitchen and greenhouse. They offered an eight-course tasting menu featuring oysters, scallops, caviar, morels, and more. Dinner after dinner sold out. What began as a school project became a real venture, run with professionalism, creativity, and care.

Throughout our entrepreneurship program, one mindset is woven into everything we do: grit.
Grit can be taught. It’s passion and perseverance toward long-term goals (as Angela Duckworth defines it), and it requires more than dreaming—it requires doing.

Andrew’s long-term goal was clear. He wanted to attend one of the best culinary schools in the world: École Ducasse in Paris.

So I made him a promise.
If he got accepted, I would find a way to visit him in Paris.

When Andrew called to tell me he’d been accepted, I think I was even more excited than he was. It was the fulfillment of a goal built over years of focused effort, resilience, and belief.

My daughter overheard that promise—and promptly announced she was coming with me.

And so there we were: the three of us, gathered around a small table in a bustling Parisian restaurant, eating escargots, sea bass, and a truly transformative beef bourguignon, while talking about Andrew’s next set of long-term goals.

Entrepreneurship is contagious.

When schools create environments where students are allowed to explore real interests, build real ventures, and pursue meaningful goals, something powerful happens. Students come alive. Passion spreads. Purpose takes root.

In other words, the future of education is bright indeed.

Standing out as a Christian school while staying true to your values is more challenging than ever. At Seed Tree Group, we help schools implement a proven entrepreneurship program that empowers students to take ownership of their education, equipping them with life-ready skills and creating a distinguished school with engaged students, inspired parents, and energized donors.

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Imagine your culture infused with growth mindset, grit, redefining failure, and opportunity seeking. Imagine your team acting and thinking like entrepreneurs.

Stephen Carter