Kankakee County CEO students participated in an incredible experiential learning opportunity during our annual Banker Day.
Katherine Arenas, Gabriella Fuentes, Henry Joiner, Kori McCasland, Aniya Napper, and Miles Yohnka rotated through structured conversations with local banking professionals, sharing their developing business plans and receiving direct, real-world feedback. Each student is currently building their own small “side hustle” business venture and preparing for Pitch Day and the CEO Trade Show this spring. Banker Day challenges them to clearly explain their financial decisions, pricing strategies, startup capital plans, and operational feasibility.
The conversations were thoughtful, direct, and encouraging. Our students were pushed to think deeper about margins, labor value, sourcing, time management, and scalability. Experiences like this are what make CEO so impactful. Students are not just learning about business. They are actively building one.
A sincere thank you to Midland States Bank downtown Kankakee for hosting this before hours event.
We are grateful for the time and expertise shared by:
State Bank of Herscher: Jen Draper and Braden Wepprecht
Peoples Bank of Kankakee County: Mark Kaner
Midland States Bank: Mike O’Brien
Thank you for investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs in Kankakee County.
Midland Institute for Entrepreneurship
