Four Nikki Rowe High School students turned a family health concern into a product that landed them among the top 10 student startups in the nation.

Hannah Chavero, Ashlie McDonald, Reyli Sarmiento, and Emilian Sosa created a natural-ingredient gummy bear after they realized several members of their families shared a common condition — diabetes. As students on the go, they also noticed their peers’ dependence on high-sugar energy drinks.

Seeing the link between the two, the group sought to create a solution for both, eventually developing sugar-free energy gummies called Boosties. Inspired by the culturally popular chilado gummy snacks, the team developed chamoy-coated gelatin bears infused with green tea and the slogan: “Boost your day the chamoy wey!”

“This was a way of making a solution and targeting multiple people at once,” 18-year-old McDonald said. “So not only is it diabetic friendly because it’s sugar free, it’s energy boosting in a way that’s not as harmful as energy drinks…. Also, if you were just looking for a snack like a chilado, then this would also be good for you because it’s sugar-free.”

Path to success for student entrepreneurs

The group developed Boosties in 2023 as a project for the entrepreneurial class INCubator. In this Shark Tank-style program, juniors and seniors create a product and participate in pitch competitions with the opportunity to earn cash prizes. Everything leads up to the National Pitch in Chicago, where the top five teams present their ideas to a panel of investors. The 2025 National Pitch winner was awarded $17,000 for a product that detects common date-rape drugs.

Only two school districts in the Rio Grande Valley teach the INCubator curriculum, providing high school students with the resources to launch their own businesses and earn money before they graduate. McAllen ISD was the first RGV district to adopt the program three years ago, and Sharyland ISD launched it this year. The class covers everything from problem-solving and financing to marketing and networking, and connects students with community mentors. Additionally, the districts teach entry-level coursework for sophomores and help students take their venture into the community in the senior-level curriculum.

SISD Director of Public Relations Nancy Barboza said Sharyland sought out INCubator to foster the entrepreneurial spirit of its students.

“We have some students that are selling shirts or painting sneakers, some that have been authors. They do great, great things,” Barboza said. “And a lot of their parents are business owners locally, so they kind of know that that’s the pathway they’re going. They’re pursuing business administration, marketing degrees, finance degrees. So it is a very robust program for Sharyland ISD.”

Startup model for schools across the RGV

Nikki Rowe INCubator teacher Christina De Leon explained that the program provides students with valuable life lessons and hands-on experience.

“I think what the program is doing for these kids is giving them these amazing skills to take when they graduate and leave high school,” De Leon said. “I just feel like they’re much more prepared and ready for the next step in their life. And whether they want to pursue entrepreneurship and keep going that route, they can.”

For the past three years, Rowe High School has produced teams that rank in the top 25 in the nation. In 2024, Boosties made it to the top 10, earning about $4,000 in competition prize money and making them Rowe’s most successful group so far.

McDonald, the Boosties chief marketing officer, said the group always knew they had something special on their hands.

“We had people and judges coming up to us when we weren’t pitching and asking us about the product,” McDonald said. “They were giving us their contact information and expressing that they were interested in helping us make it something bigger than it already was… We knew that we had a good idea, but we didn’t think that it was going to be as big as it was. That was surprising in a very good way. It felt good to get that validation for our product.”

After seeing the positive response, the Boosties team wanted to take their product out of the classroom and to the next level. They obtained a DBA license and sought marketing consultant Brand Geniuz to create a logo, packaging, and build an online presence. Through networking, the students moved product creation from their homes into industrial kitchens, making enough gummies to sell at school and local events.

Next generation of RGV entrepreneurs

De Leon, their INCubator teacher, said Boosties had a lot of support from the McAllen community. However, with the members going off to college this fall, they decided to pause production as they settle into their new lives. McDonald said they have every intention of continuing with the business.

She plans to study business and finance at Texas A&M University in College Station. Although she originally wanted to study engineering, she realized her passion for business through INCubator — something she acknowledges might not have happened if she hadn’t joined the class.

“I want to continue making something of my own and just working with others who want to make a positive change,” McDonald said. “And whether that’s with my own business or I’m working for another business, I really like the idea of making a change in my community and having a positive impact.”

The Nikki Rowe alum also credits INCubator with helping her overcome her public speaking anxiety, giving her the confidence to socialize with peers and hone her customer service skills.

Aylin Madrigal, the Boosties mentor and Brand Geniuz partner, said helping the young entrepreneurs and seeing students like McDonald grow through the process has been rewarding. She encourages more community members to serve as mentors.

“It’s a wonderful program,” Madrigal said. “Knowing that in the end it’s going to benefit these kids and also encourage them to do something, it’s definitely worth making the time.”

Students present their ideas in the following video: