Did you know there is a printing and apparel business run almost entirely by students in D38, and a quite successful one at that?
The D38 Enterprise is a business that does printing, embroidering, and apparel customization, and it’s run by students in the DECA Programs at Palmer Ridge and Lewis-Palmer High Schools. DECA, Distributive Education Clubs of America, prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs for careers in marketing, finance, hospitality and management in high schools and colleges around the globe. It also enhances the preparation for college and careers by providing co-curricular programs that integrate into classroom instruction, applying learning in the context of business, connecting to business and the community and promoting competition.
To join DECA, students must be enrolled in a co-curricular course, which could be Principles of Marketing, Management and Entrepreneurship, or the Leadership/Capstone at PRHS, and Principles of Management, Principles of Marketing, or Personal Finance 1st Semester at LPHS.
DECA students also participate in competitions based in marketing, finance, hospitality and management, at the district, state, national, and even international level.
“In a nutshell, DECA prepares students for the real world,” Palmer Ridge DECA Advisor Brady Hanson said. “Just like practicing is important to success in sport, you need to practice for life and career. That’s what DECA provides. Students are forced out of their comfort zone, dress professionally, and learn to communicate effectively with adults. Through competition, they get to put into practice what they’re learning in class while exploring different career fields,” Hanson added.
One of the annual DECA competitions is focused on operating a successful student-run business. Each year, several students write a business plan for the Enterprise. In 2025, four PRHS DECA members presented their plan and received Gold Certification at the International Career Development Conference.
While production at the Enterprise is wholly a group effort, each Senior student does have a job or title, similar to what you would see in a typical business organizational structure or chain of command. Students fill every role from CEO and CFO, to managers of sales, human resources, and operations. The business also runs year-around, which means in the summer, the incoming class of Senior DECA officers come in to work and keep up with orders.
While they can’t be paid in cash, Hanson does pay students in DECA Dollars, at $15/hour, plus $1 for every shirt that they press. That money goes towards fees for DECA Invitationals, State, and other competitions. All of the money made by the printing business also goes straight back to supporting the Enterprise or into DECA to support the students at competitions.
Enterprise Services Available to the Community
The services offered by the Enterprise are available to anyone, and those who utilize them, often see savings compared to what they would pay at a normal printing business.
“Our objective is to come in lower, and luckily we have that flexibility," Hanson said. “All of our equipment is from grants, so typically our pricing comes in lower. And if not, we’ll take some of our fundraising margin out to make sure we’re lower. I think the community really gets excited when they hear that their money is staying in the school district too,” Hanson added.
Though the Enterprise’s services are available to anyone seeking them out, many of their products are produced for other organizations or events within D38. It’s very much a symbiotic relationship that benefits all parties involved.
“We support them and they support us. They get product for less, and often nicer shirts. And then we get some fundraising out of it. It’s a win-win,” Hanson said.
The Enterprise also saves D38 money with their printing capabilities.
“We have industrial printers and can do things like booklets and those big study guides for teachers in the district. That saves us money as a district,” Hanson added “The whole printing operation is the same thing you would expect to see at a Kinkos.”
Thanks to this approach, and the quality of their work, the Enterprise brings in a good chunk of change each year.
“Revenue-wise, we’re going to break about $70,000 this year,” Hanson said.
The Enterprise Prepares Students for the Real World
While every student working at The Enterprise is in DECA, not all DECA students work at The Enterprise. The responsibility of helping to run business comes alongside the Capstone class, meaning all of the students are Seniors and have been in DECA for three years. Working at The Enterprise has also become a highly sought after position, and the prospect of participating in the program has even brought more students to DECA.
“I guess I could even call it a recruitment tool,” Hanson said. “I have a lot of new DECA members who say, ‘I can’t wait to get over to The Enterprise.’”
As one can imagine, most of the students involved with The Enterprise have future plans for businesses of their own. Many also feel that this experience has given them a head start in the business world.
“I got interested in DECA the last few years because I’m interested in starting my own business. And the skills that I’ve learned through helping manage The Enterprise are definitely things I’ll be able to use in my own business,” current Enterprise CEO Ryker Farrow said.
“DECA is all about building professionalism and being able to carry yourself in a professional manner. So a lot of kids like Ryker, are just kind of next level and are already thinking about what’s next,” Hanson said.
“A lot of us have already had many hours of speaking with adults thanks to DECA competitions. So being able to do those things helps a lot," Ryker added. “A lot of the business plans that have gone through DECA and made it to Nationals have become actual businesses too.”
Even those who may not have future plans to start their own businesses said they recognized that the skills they're building in DECA and at The Enterprise will help them no matter what field they enter.
“I think that this class has truly helped me speak more professionally, especially when it comes to presenting ideas,” Enterprise CFO David Gallaga said. “We’ve learned about all kinds of different businesses too, not just commercial manufacturing. I want to go into the biomed field, and I’ve learned how to present in professional fields, but also how to contribute to the business aspect,” he added.
Several students also have businesses of their own already.
“If you see a ton of yard signs around Monument with dinosaurs on them in the next few weeks, that’s me,” Enterprise VP of Sales Cole Richert, said. “Our business is called Peak Yard Care, and we’re just starting to get into the marketing and get some new customers with the early season,” he added.
Supporting the Greater Good
As these students are learning about creating successful businesses and becoming professionals through DECA and The Enterprise, they’re also learning about supporting their community and serving others.
In honor of Palmer Ridge student and DECA member Elijah Arnholt, who passed away in 2025 after fighting Muscular Dystrophy, Enterprise COO Quinn Marr and Social Media Manager Rhett Jones, created "The Elijah Initiative" to raise awareness of, and money for, Muscular Dystrophy. They were recently recognized on the international DECA stage for their fundraising work.
“Good businesses and organizations do good in their community. Winning trophies is a fantastic way to be recognized for the hard work these students put into their competitive events, but it's the positive impact we make on those who are less fortunate that really matters,” Brady Hanson said.
“We do so many great things with Palmer Ridge, like raising $30,000+ for Make-A-Wish, but we also do other great projects like that. DECA isn’t just coming up with business ideas, it’s also about how we can do better in our community,” Hanson added.
A Guiding Hand at The Enterprise
While the students are putting in many of the man hours, the Enterprise also relies a lot on Operations Manager Todd Richardson.
“My main function is to make sure all of the equipment is in good working condition and make sure the students have what they need to complete their projects. I also provide guidance on how to use all of the equipment,” Richardson said.
He’s also very much involved in the business education aspect of The Enterprise.
“I guide students on how to run the equipment, but also things like cost-per-unit and how to run the business,” he added.
Richardson, with the help of interns, handles many of the orders that come directly to The Enterprise, instead of through DECA. He also helps oversee financial records for the business.
Out of all the things he does, student safety is at the top of his list.
“I make sure people aren’t getting hurt. That’s 350 degrees right there. If we do printing or cutting, we have machines that could cut your finger off, if you’re not using them properly,” Richardson said.
“Thank goodness we have Todd,” Brady Hanson said. “I only have class for 90 minutes, so he can really keep things rolling.”
If you would like to order something from The Enterprise, contact Brady Hanson or Todd Richardson.
For more information about the DECA program in D38, visit the PRHS or LPHS websites.
