{"articleDetail":{"publishDateDisplay":"January 29, 2025","summary":"Rebekah Schwenk 'apos;24 and Megan Veon 'apos;25 built a business plan in the classroom, presented it in national competitions, and move towards making it a reality after graduation.","image":"site://geneva.edu/stories/_assets/untitled-design-27.jpg","tagItems":"[Winter 2025, Business, Student Experience]","articleText":"When Rebekah Schwenk ‘24 was assigned to propose a business idea as part of a group project her sophomore year at Geneva, she committed time to praying about the assignment, knowing that the result could be more than a grade and something that could make a real-life impact. She developed a vision for providing community and refuge for college-age people, particularly in a way that would combat declining mental health and rising suicide rates. Rebekah, with her four team members, gradually developed the idea of Bean There, Drank That. \nToday, Bean There, Drank That is a coffee shop and dry bar that plans to open in Richmond, Virginia. The business will offer late-night hours to give young adults a nightlife alternative and will focus specifically on providing resources to those seeking mental health support.\n\nThe following year, Rebekah had another opportunity to develop her business plan through a class project. Though her original team members had graduated, classmate Megan Veon ‘25, had heard the original pitch and stepped in to work alongside Rebekah. \nThe duo researched viability, potential problems, and how to fit their idea into the business world. Megan and Rebekah attended entrepreneurship competitions near campus, including a presentation at the B-HIVE in downtown Beaver Falls, before attending a pitch competition at Allegheny College.  \nAs they practiced, professors and the Geneva community gave them support and advice. Professor Curtis Songer served as the young women’s advisor on the project. Rebekah remembers Songer’s advice after giving their practice pitch, “He encouraged us to give more statistics. . . He’s very good at taking [an] idea and saying, ‘Here’s [the] very specific problem that you need to blatantly say. This is the problem — and we need to be the solution for that.’” \nThe team’s hard work paid off, eventually leading to a placement in the Top 100 at the 2024 Global Pitch Competition and an invitation to the finals in Tampa, FL. \nThe conference provided helpful resources and networking, including positive interactions with peers. “I got to hear from a student who was directly impacted by some of what we’re targeting with the mental health focus,” Megan says. “He had people in his life who he lost . . . and I have as well, and it was really nice getting to talk with him and re-encourage each other.” \n\nWhen asked about entrepreneurship advice they gained through their experiences, the pair shared, “Think of a problem and then think of a new solution for it. It can be just an idea to start, and that’s okay.” \nBoth women are now moving into new seasons of life. Rebekah graduated in December 2024. Currently, she is working with another coffee shop to gain practical skills with a goal in mind to move to Richmond by the end of 2025 to determine Bean There, Drank That’s location and continue the shop’s development. \nWhile Megan approaches graduation in May 2025, she shares, “I definitely try to maintain this idea that God’s going to lead me wherever I end up going. He has His path laid out for me.” With a dream to someday own a business that fosters art and community, her focus remains on Christ. “I really want to make sure that I’m spreading the life of Jesus with people. As I’ve spent more time being at Geneva, I found that it’s been the community here that’s changed my faith incredibly. From where I was when I first came here to where I am today, I wouldn’t have gotten through without all these people being super encouraging. I really want to be that to somebody else.” \nTo learn more about Bean There, Drank That, visit their Instagram @bean.there.drankthat\nOriginally published in the Geneva Magazine, Winter 2025 Issue.","author":null,"publishDate":"2025-01-29","type":"Stories","title":"Brewing Real-Life Business in the Classroom","imageDesc":"","url":"/article/st-bean-there-drank-that","blogCategories":"","id":"b33df31eac0a24042813879fec228c11","detailUrl":"/stories/2025/01/st-bean-there-drank-that.json","sourcePath":null,"slug":"st-bean-there-drank-that"}}