Institute for Entrepreneurship Entrepreneurial Education Partner
Week 6 - Sept. 21-25
The Edge Tour
Keith Schell & Mary Dahm-Schell, Owners
The Edge – Investors
On Tuesday, the CEO Class had the opportunity to visit The Edge and listen to Mary Dahm-Schell and Keith Schell, the owners of the facility. We were able to tour the whole premise from the laser tag arena, eatery, and theaters. Mary Dahm-Schell and Keith Schell spoke to the class about how they were interested in business and how teamwork is a significant component. They also told us about how accepting change and timing contributed to their success. The skills we learned from them will not only help us in our future endeavors, but in our everyday lives. Thank you to Mary Dahm-Schell and Keith Schell for taking time out of your day to speak us!
Written by Paige Montgomery & Sandy Amorado
Keith Schell and Mary Dahm-Schell shared with the students their accomplishments and mistakes since they opened The Edge in 1988.
The students sat in one of the Bistro theaters as Mary and Keith talked about the importance of keeping things “close to your vest,” having a job description for yourself, and overcoming their biggest hurdle of having access to capital. 
They gave the students a tour of their 50,000 sq. ft. building showcasing arcades games, d.s. vespers, three stadium style theatres, two movie bistro theatres, and the world’s largest laser rock arena. 
Keith and Mary along with Alex shared with the students what makes the movie experience at The Edge different from other theaters. Althoff Catholic High School Tour
Dave Harris, Principal
Kathy Schaffer, Counselor & CEO Board Member
Susan Morford, Business Manager
Michael Crotty, Maintenance Director & Production
Greg Leib, Athletic Director
Jenn Lyke, Advancement Director
John Bouc, Theology
On Thursday, the CEO students went to Althoff Catholic High School. Principal Dave Harris, along with other faculty members, spoke to the students about advertising and how their business is different than other businesses. One of the main points they taught our group was that taking risks, as well as not being afraid to fail, are key aspects of having a successful, growing business. Hiring people who are multitalented and not being afraid to get outside help were some other great tips given at the presentation. Thank you Althoff for hosting us!
Written by Heather Gosebrink & Aliyah Gillespie
Mr. Dave Harris talked about the history of Althoff Catholic High School from the time it started in 1964, while Ms. Susan Morford share with the students how a business manager must wear “many hats,” be able to switch gears quickly, and be versatile.
Mr. Michael Crotty shared his history of owning his own business. He also told the students that one should never be afraid of failure and you don’t have to know everything, but use your network to get people to help you. 
Ms. Kathy Schaffer, CEO Board Member, coordinated the guest speakers for our Althoff Tour. 
Mr. Greg Leib said that everyone has the ability to be successful but not everyone wants to put in the work to be successful. 
Mr. John Bouc talked about the campus ministry and the overall Althoff mission statement, “We are called by Jesus Christ to educate young people, through the Catholic tradition, to lead successful faith-filled lives."The Badge Project
The badges came in Friday! The CEO students will be officially wearing their new badges on Monday and promoting the following companies everywhere they go.
Thank you again for supporting our first project and bringing it to a successful conclusion.
Journal Tidbits
“Visiting the Edge was interesting because we got a behind the scenes tour, but I really liked the advice they gave us. I liked how their passion was to better things. They didn't stick with one specific thing, they tried multiple things. But in whatever they did, they did their homework and researched everything they could on what they were going to do.”
Aliyah Gillespie
“What amazed me was how the owners of the Edge worked together and how their marriage made their bond at work stronger and making them more efficient in the work place. When they were presenting one thing, I noticed how well they complement each other. Overall this week was beneficial to my education because of how well this husband and wife worked together and how strong their love for Belleville is.”
David Rauckman
“I found the Head Maintenance Director Mike Crotty very enlightening. Everything he said had merit. He’s a jack of all trades! And good at it. I thought it was fascinating that he was in the film business here in the Midwest. …He also had some good quotes I wrote down; “I learned from my father that you should personally hand an employee’s paycheck to them and tell them “thank you” because they are people too…” & “don’t be afraid to take risks; all the successes you make mean nothing compared to all the failures”. I really liked that “thoughts become things” idea, and if you don’t know how to make something, don’t be afraid to hire someone who does (echoing a previous lecture).”
Jessica Stern
“My favorite day was most likely visiting The Edge. It was extremely interesting that they did what they wanted and lived their dreams. After living in DC and doing her own thing for awhile moving back to her hometown was kind of nice. I think she had a dream of owning a business and she was able to accomplish that. The Edge has been running for almost a quarter of a century and that says something that they keep innovating and making their business better than the competitors. The three year thing is really interesting because that means over time -they just keep getting better. The add on to the movie theatre is really nice and I enjoyed how they kept with their original idea and made a super luxury movie theatre. That is what they wanted to do from the beginning and they were able to accomplish that. Overall The Edge was a great idea and a good business plan to model after.”
Steven Toenjes
Just a Reminder
Our door is always open. Entrepreneurs, visitors, guests, and friends are welcome and highly encouraged to join us. Drop in and share your story with our students or participate in our class discussions. Check out the schedule on the website.
If you are interested in hosting our students for an educational visit about your business operations or would like to speak to the class and share your story, please email the facilitator, Julie Siebers, at jsiebers@bths201.org or call or text her at 618.719.3177.
