Entrepreneurs of Bellevue High School

Bellevue students have been busy putting their mark on the world. Some are utilizing their business skills to create clever ways to make a buck, while are passionate about spreading  important messages to those around them. These students aren’t just juggling school, but also managing costs, production, and communication.

Seniors Rory Ritchie and Justin Lee decided to use their lacrosse and business skills to create their own small business of teaching a lacrosse camp for kids. They started by primarily advertising through email and reaching out to families involved in Bellevue Lacrosse. They used their Instagram accounts to share training clips, camp information, and updates. They charged each player a small fee and donated the proceeds to the Bellevue School District to fund lacrosse equipment and programs in PE classes to teach students basic lacrosse skills.

 “Over the past couple of summers, Justin and I have run LAX Focus, a lacrosse training program offering camps and private lessons for kids in grades K-8 in the Bellevue area. Our goal is to make lacrosse more accessible while helping younger players build confidence, focus, and a love for the game. Beyond skill development, we emphasize effort, teamwork, and having fun, values that carry off the field as much as on it,” explained Ritchie.

This is especially important because turnout is not always consistent in lacrosse. An introduction to the sport helps Bellevue field lacrosse teams in the future and keeps the program strong for years to come.

“By reinvesting the money locally, we’re able to introduce the sport to students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to play. For me, LAX Focus taught me that entrepreneurship isn’t just about making something profitable, it’s about identifying a need in your community and building something that gives back,” concluded Ritchie.

Benjamin Yu saw electric bikes become popular and the increase of them in the Bellevue area. Yu created an electric bike part distribution, Softr Motorsports, to serve the growing electric bike community. Softr Motorsports and other e-commerce projects give Yu some hefty money along with skills in product sourcing, management, and customer satisfaction. In the early stages of his business, Yu focused on gaining natural awareness on TikTok and Instagram but now, he relies on engagement and word-of-mouth reviews over paid ads.

Yu gives a word of advice for students starting their own business:

“Organic growth shows you what people actually want before you try to scale it.”

Bottom line, Bellevue High students are accomplishing amazing things outside of the classroom. They are using their unique skills to create small businesses and highlighting important causes near and dear to their hearts.