We believe every student is a founder in waiting.
Boom started with one question: what if high school students built real companies instead of writing business plans? Seven years later, that question has become a statewide movement — and it's just getting started.
7
Years operating
57
Partner schools
$52K+
Capital deployed
$5M
Committed by 2030
Our Mission
Make entrepreneurship the foundation of American education
Boom exists to prove that entrepreneurship is not a personality trait — it's a skill. And like any skill, it can be taught, practiced, and mastered by any student willing to show up and do the work.
We partner with school districts to embed a real startup curriculum inside CTE pathways, award dual college credit, and put equity-free seed capital in the hands of the students who earn it. No prerequisites. No cost to schools.
Our goal is to deploy $5 million in startup capital by 2030 — directly into the hands of student founders across America.
The belief behind Boom
“I built businesses without a playbook. Boom exists so students don't have to. They deserve the tools, the mentorship, and the chance to build something that matters in their own community.”
— Kyle Wilson, Founder & CEO
What We Stand For
Principles that don't bend
Real Stakes
Students launch actual businesses with actual customers. No simulations, no pretend money — real inventory, real revenue, real consequences.
Rooted in Community
The best founders solve problems they know firsthand. Boom builds entrepreneurs who are invested in the places they come from.
Zero Barriers
No prerequisites. No cost to schools. No gatekeeping. Any student in any pathway can become a founder.
Credentials That Count
Every student earns dual college credit and industry certifications — whether or not they go on to launch a startup.
Our Journey
Seven years of building
Boom launched in Kentucky with a single school partner and a simple premise: real startups, not simulations.
Grew to 3 school partners as word spread across Kentucky districts.
7 school partners. Held the first Boom pitch competition at Eastern Kentucky University — 20 student startups competed for equity-free seed capital.
18 school partners. Deployed $10K in startup funding to student founders. Pitch event returned to EKU.
32 school partners. Deployed $18K in startup funding. Pitch event at EKU. Amazon partnership secured — groundwork laid for Boom Dealz.
44 school partners. Deployed $24K in startup funding. Pitch event at University of Cumberlands. Boom Dealz launches as an Amazon-powered capital loop for student founders.
57 school partners. KY State dual credit partnership established for statewide rollout. Expanding to TN, NC, WV, PA, and MS.
Faculty & Team
The people behind Boom
Founders, educators, and operators — united by one mission.
Kyle Wilson
CEO & Founder
Drives Boom's strategic vision to integrate real-world venture creation from middle school through university. His leadership has directed $50K+ in equity-free seed capital to student founders and secured the landmark Amazon partnership powering Boom Dealz.
Paul Evans
CTO & Mentor
Serial software entrepreneur with over a decade building and scaling ventures across multiple industries. Founder of Phaseable and OpsFlow. Builds the technology infrastructure behind Boom and mentors student founders through prototyping sprints — teaching them to leverage AI to launch scalable MVPs.
Lamar Wilson
AI & Emerging Technology Instructor
Serial entrepreneur, blockchain architect, and founder of Black Bitcoin Billionaires. Built one of the first mobile Bitcoin wallets and led the world's first trade-finance blockchain network. Now teaches students to understand, leverage, and build with AI.
Jennifer Langford
Director of Operations
Leads enterprise logistics, supply chain, and multi-market deployment of the Amazon partnership across North America — ensuring the Boom Dealz capital loop operates at peak efficiency and funnels revenue directly into student startups.
Tabitha Grossman Nelson, Ph.D.
Lead Curriculum Architect & Institutional Liaison
Ph.D. in Educational Policy and Leadership. Former policy director advising state governors and education commissioners. Anchors Boom's dual credit articulation agreements and ensures curriculum meets the highest collegiate and workforce standards.
Dale Morgan
Financial Literacy Instructor
President & CEO of Foundation47. 2025 SBA Financial Services Advocate of the Year, recognized by the U.S. Senate. 15+ years in accounting and finance across higher education and city government. Vice Chair, KY Commission on Small Business Innovation.
Jennifer Klinglesmith
Marketing & Growth Strategy Instructor
Entrepreneur, marketer, and SaaS/AI platform builder specializing in workforce development and organizational efficiency. Brings product development, digital marketing, and scalable growth strategy to the Boom curriculum.
Jason Delambre
Sustainable Venture Coach
Founder of Interdependent Energies LLC and Certified Energy Manager with 350+ projects in green building and greenhouse gas reduction. Mentors students exploring green tech, agricultural innovation, and environmentally conscious startups.
Brad Clark
Director of Student Venture Scouting
M.A. in Teaching, former GM of Wiley's K-12 platform (15,000 educators, $7M+ revenue). Connects student innovators to regional mentors and institutional partners, ensuring every team has the ecosystem support to launch and scale.
Partners
Who we build with
Join the Movement
Ready to bring Boom to your community?
Whether you run a school district, lead a university program, or you're a community leader looking for an economic development answer — let's talk. Boom costs your institution nothing and puts real startup capital in students' hands.