Fredericksburg High Students Launch Six Startups, Raise $21K in INCubatoredu Debut

Fredericksburg High School's inaugural INCubatoredu program concluded its first year with six student-built businesses, a sold-out theater pitch night, and $21,000 awarded in seed money and scholarships, according to a recent episode of The Building Texas Show featuring host Justin McKenzie and educator Jason Roemer.

Roemer, a 27-year business educator at Fredericksburg High, brought the national INCubatoredu curriculum—developed by Uncharted Learning—to the district. The year-long course requires students to develop, build, and pitch a real business from scratch. The program's success signals a growing appetite for experiential learning that directly connects classrooms to local economies, a trend with implications for workforce development across rural Texas.

In its first year, Roemer recruited more than 30 local business owners, board advisors, and judges into the classroom. The volunteer bench reads like a cross-section of the regional economy. David Pedragon, who built and later sold Dogology, a Main Street pet store, mentors students on failure and pivoting. Chad Myers, CEO of Core Javelina Holdings, manufactures and distributes rubber components used on an estimated 90% of new-build airbag suspension systems for 18-wheelers from a facility just outside Fredericksburg. Dan Kemp, CEO of Security State Bank, spoke to students about intrapreneurship, noting, “I'm not an entrepreneur, I'm an intrapreneur. I look to grow my business every day.” Central Texas Electric CEO Mr. Hinojosa taught project management, and rancher Sam Sage of Hillside Beef rounded out the mentor team.

The program raised $20,000–$25,000 through community fundraising, money Roemer says stays entirely in the classroom, on top of his teacher's salary, within a Texas school finance system that pulls funding back out of rural districts. That funding model—relying on local investment rather than tax dollars—could offer a blueprint for other districts facing budget constraints. Roemer has already shared the model with educators in Hondo, Dripping Springs, and College Station who are considering it for their own districts.

Heading into year two, the program has roughly doubled its volunteer pool, helped along by Caroline, a student from the winning pitch team, who asked to return as a mentor the day after the contest. Roemer is also in talks with Fredericksburg's Chamber of Commerce about a permanent Main Street presence for the program. For Texas, the initiative demonstrates how business and education can align to cultivate entrepreneurial talent early, potentially strengthening local economies and creating a pipeline of homegrown founders. As Roemer put it, “The coach is only as good as the players. We've been blessed with a tremendous team of volunteers, starting with David Pedragon and going all the way down.”