Indian Hill High School students are now running their own smoothie bar on campus after winning grant funding through the school's Big Pitch entrepreneurship competition.

IHBlends opened the week of Aug. 23, coinciding with the first week of the 2026-2027 school year. The student-run venture operates in partnership with Aramark, the district's food service provider, according to an announcement from the school on Sunday, Aug. 23.

The school described the smoothie bar as a product of the 2026 Big Pitch, calling the students behind it entrepreneurs with "big ideas and great partners."

The Big Pitch is a competition funded by the Indian Hill Foundation that awards grants to student-driven ideas aimed at improving life at Indian Hill High School. Two winning teams receive funding each cycle to bring their proposals to life. The competition first ran in 2023; the Indian Hill Foundation billed the 2026 edition as the second annual Big Pitch.

The program sits within the school's Entrepreneurs Center, which also runs the Experienceships career-exploration program. In January, students Charlotte Picton, Caroline Rinala, Jane Holbrook and Gea Eshleman delivered testimonials to the Board of Education about their experiences in the separate Experienceship program, according to board minutes from the Jan. 13 meeting. That presentation, along with an overview from faculty adviser Mr. Damadeo and Lauren Richardson, gave board members a window into the Entrepreneurs Center's broader work.

The Big Pitch itself received board-level attention at the April 21 meeting, when it was featured in the monthly #LeadNow video segment, according to board minutes.

It is not yet clear whether IHBlends will appear on a future board agenda or what metrics the school will use to evaluate the venture's success.

The next Indian Hill Board of Education meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 15, at 6:30 p.m. in the Board Office Community Room at 6855 Drake Road.