Hart County prepares to launch Georgia FLEX Program to invest in Student Entrepreneurs

Hart County Chamber of Commerce President Amanda Brown traveled to Morgan County on July 27th alongside Hart College and Career Academy Board Chair Terri Partain and Board Past Chair Kevin McCraney to learn more about the Georgia FLEX program and how it's being implemented this school year.

FLEX (Foundational Leadership and Entrepreneur X-perience) is a statewide program that puts high school students in the driver's seat of real businesses, selling real products and services for real money. Local business partners, community leaders, and teachers help make it happen through workshops and mentorship, and students compete through three rounds until a local champion advances to the state competition.

Building on StartUp Hart

The trip is the next step in a journey that started with StartUp Hart, the in-house program built by the Hart County Chamber and Hartwell Main Street to give Hart County High School students a real shot at entrepreneurship. Over three successful years, students pitched original business ideas to a panel of judges, competing for seed money and a chance to be named the school-wide winner. Along the way, students earned course credit, real business experience, and the confidence that comes with building something of their own from scratch, with the Hart College and Career Academy welcoming the program into the classroom each year.

Why FLEX Is Next

StartUp Hart proved what Hart County students are capable of, and FLEX is the natural next step. Where StartUp Hart's competition ended at the school level, FLEX is a statewide program, meaning Hart County's top student entrepreneurs will go on to compete against peers from across Georgia. Finalists compete for bigger prizes, wider recognition, and recommendations that carry real weight on college applications. FLEX also brings a more structured framework of workshops and mentorship, giving students even deeper support as they build their businesses.

That's why the Hart College and Career Academy and the Hart County Chamber of Commerce are moving forward together to bring FLEX to Hart County this school year, with the Academy leading implementation and the Chamber serving as community sponsor.

“StartUp Hart gave our students a real taste of what it means to build something of their own, and FLEX is the next chapter of that work,” said Steve Burton, CEO of the Hart College and Career Academy, and Amanda Brown, President of the Hart County Chamber of Commerce. “This isn’t about replacing what StartUp Hart built. It’s about growing it into a bigger, more connected experience for our students.”

More details on the local FLEX program, including how businesses, mentors, and community members can get involved, will be announced in the coming weeks.

Visit GeorgiaFlex.org for more information.