Virtual Enterprise International (VEI) is a nonprofit national educational experience/organization. It allows students to interact with other students around the nation and provides them with the opportunity to create and run mock corporate businesses. 

“VEI students at Fenton High School were among the 5,102 participants for VEI’s National Online Trade Show on Feb. 11,” business teacher Bruce Burwitz said. “An event that connects students, firms and industry professionals to facilitate sales of virtual products and services through video conference sales sessions.” 

Fentons VEI students created a business called Waybound Inc, selling clothing bundles at VEI trade shows. This time around, they were able to generate $25,000 in sales. 

“To sell our products, we first have to make a sales pitch to other VEI companies,” senior CEO of Waybound Inc. Kaytlyn Couch said. “The point of trade shows is just to sell our product and learn something from it, to sell a product we hosted Zoom meetings where other companies could pop in and purchase our product.”

VEI was founded in 1996 by Iris Blanc. It launched in New York City with seven schools involved and now, 25 years later, VEI serves over 20,000 students nationwide. 

To be a part of VEI at Fenton you have to complete Business Management, Finance or accounting courses and then you are eligible for the class in grades 10 through 12.