In its first year, Fredericksburg High School’s INCubatoredu program guided six student teams from idea to public pitch, raised $20,000–$25,000 for classroom use, and awarded $21,000 in seed money and scholarships at a sold-out theater pitch night. The program’s architect, Jason Roemer, a 27-year business educator, detailed the results in a September 14, 2026, episode of The Building Texas Show with host Justin McKenzie.
INCubatoredu, a national curriculum developed by Uncharted Learning, immerses high school students in a full school year of building and pitching a real business. 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 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, which manufactures rubber components used on an estimated 90% of new-build airbag suspension systems for 18-wheelers from a facility outside Fredericksburg; Dan Kemp, CEO of Security State Bank, who describes himself as an “intrapreneur”; Central Texas Electric CEO Mr. Hinojosa, who taught project management; and rancher Sam Sage of Hillside Beef.
Roemer, who spent three years in retail management before what he calls “the coaching bug” pulled him into education, credits the model for rejuvenating his career. “My education career has really been rejuvenated by this program, and the way that these kids have responded to it,” he said. He also deflects praise: “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.”
The program’s funding model is unusual for a rural Texas district. Roemer says every dollar raised stays in the classroom, on top of his teacher salary, inside a school finance system that pulls funding back out of rural districts. The only tax dollars involved are his salary, making the initiative largely community-supported.
Heading into year two, the program has roughly doubled its volunteer pool, helped by Caroline, a student from the winning pitch team who asked to return as a mentor the day after the contest. Roemer is in talks with Fredericksburg’s Chamber of Commerce about a permanent Main Street presence, and he has shared the model with educators in Hondo, Dripping Springs, and College Station who are considering it for their districts. Interested districts can start with Uncharted Learning’s curriculum.
The implications reach beyond one Hill Country classroom. As rural schools face tightening budgets, INCubatoredu offers a template for leveraging local business expertise and private fundraising to deliver experiential learning. It also builds a pipeline of homegrown entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs who might otherwise leave for larger metros. For Texas, which actively courts business relocation and expansion, programs that cultivate local talent could strengthen the workforce and keep economic activity rooted in smaller communities. The sold-out pitch night and $21,000 in awards suggest strong community buy-in, and the spread of the model to other districts could amplify that impact across the state.
For those wanting to follow the series, which spotlights founders, educators, and community champions building Texas’s entrepreneurial economy, new episodes post two to three times a week. Media inquiries can be directed through the show’s Email Contact.
