In a single school year, more than 30 Fredericksburg High School students built and pitched six real companies, raising $21,000 in seed money and scholarships at a sold-out pitch night. The program, INCubatoredu, is a national curriculum developed by Uncharted Learning that immerses students in a full year of business creation. Its debut in this rural Texas district, led by 27-year educator Jason Roemer, shows that hands-on entrepreneurship can thrive even in schools where tax dollars are stretched thin.
The significance extends beyond one classroom. Fredericksburg ISD operates within a Texas school finance system that pulls funding back out of rural districts, leaving little room for enrichment. Yet Roemer raised $20,000 to $25,000 in the program's first year through community fundraising. Every dollar stays in the classroom, he says, on top of his teacher salary. That means the program cost taxpayers nothing beyond his existing pay, a critical distinction for districts weighing whether to adopt similar initiatives. Roemer has already discussed the model with educators in Hondo, Dripping Springs, and College Station, suggesting the approach could spread across the state.
The volunteer bench reads like a cross-section of the local economy. David Pedragon, who built and sold a Main Street pet store, mentors students on failure and pivoting. Chad Myers, CEO of Core Javelina Holdings, manufactures rubber components used on an estimated 90 percent of new-build airbag suspension systems for 18-wheelers from a facility just outside Fredericksburg. Dan Kemp, CEO of Security State Bank, taught students about intrapreneurship: “I'm not an entrepreneur, I'm an intrapreneur. I look to grow my business every day.” Central Texas Electric CEO Mr. Hinojosa covered project management, and rancher Sam Sage rounded out the team.
Roemer credits the model, not himself, for the results. “The coach is only as good as the players,” he says. “We've been blessed with a tremendous team of volunteers.” That team is already growing. The program has roughly doubled its volunteer pool for year two, helped 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, which would give students a visible storefront for their ventures.
The implications for Texas education and economic development are twofold. First, the program demonstrates that rural districts can build entrepreneurial ecosystems without waiting for state funding. Second, it creates a pipeline of young people who understand risk, failure, and community support. One mentor, a Main Street business owner who scaled too fast and nearly went under, shares his story annually. It is not the polished version found on LinkedIn, but it is the kind of lesson that textbooks cannot deliver. As Roemer puts it, his education career has been “rejuvenated” by the program and the way students have responded.
The episode featuring Roemer is part of The Building Texas Show, an ongoing series spotlighting the founders, educators, and community champions building Texas's entrepreneurial economy. For districts considering a similar leap, the message is clear: the resources may already exist in the community, waiting to be asked.
