Bauer Berkley '26: Exploring Entrepreneurship at ESD
March 9, 2026
This year, Bauer Berkley ’26 is turning an idea into a real-world product through his work in entrepreneurship and the EagleSpark Incubator Program at ESD.
Bauer’s business concept, FixNow AI, is a repair-assistance app designed to make everyday fixes more accessible. The idea is simple: a user takes a photo of something broken, and the app provides step-by-step instructions for repairing it, along with a list of materials needed to complete the job.
“I was thinking about ways artificial intelligence could help the average person in a practical way,” Bauer explained. “A repair assistance app could help people avoid the fear of messing up a repair and save money by not having to hire someone.”
The concept grew through ESD’s EagleSpark Incubator Program, a key component of the school’s ESDistinction Business, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing Curriculum Network. The program is designed to support student entrepreneurs as they refine and develop early-stage startup ideas, offering mentorship, feedback from experienced business leaders, and access to resources that help move ideas closer to reality.
Each year, students in the Entrepreneurship class participate in a Shark Tank-style competition where they pitch their business concepts to a panel of judges that includes Dallas business leaders, Southern Methodist University faculty, and alumni entrepreneurs. The EagleSpark Incubator Board reviews student business plans in advance and selects the most promising ventures to pitch directly to the board before presenting to a broader group of investors the following day.
Through the incubator, Bauer has taken meaningful steps toward launching FixNow AI. He recently hired a development team to help build the application, and the project is currently in active development.
“The incubator has been great,” Bauer said. “I’ve had a lot of resources available, and Mrs. Livingston has been a big help throughout the process.”
Bauer hopes the app will be ready to launch soon, marking an exciting milestone for a project that began as a classroom idea.
Beyond developing his own business concept, Bauer has also contributed to the entrepreneurship community at ESD in several ways. This year, he served as a judge for the school’s Entrepreneurship “Shark Tank,” evaluating fellow students’ business ideas and offering feedback on their pitches. He also worked with sixth-grade students, helping them develop ideas into potential businesses and judging their final presentations.
In another classroom collaboration, Bauer shared his experience using artificial intelligence tools in business development, leading a session for entrepreneurship students on how AI can assist with building websites and supporting early-stage business ideas.
For Bauer, these opportunities reflect the collaborative environment of ESD’s entrepreneurship program, where students learn not only from teachers and mentors but also from one another.
Looking ahead, he hopes to continue building tools and digital products that help people solve everyday problems.
“I’m not sure if it will always be this exact idea,” Bauer said, “but I definitely want to keep developing websites and apps that help people.”
As FixNow AI moves closer to launch, Bauer’s work reflects the kind of real-world learning encouraged through ESDistinction. By connecting classroom ideas with mentorship, industry leader feedback, and opportunities such as the EagleSpark Incubator, students are empowered to explore their interests and turn innovative concepts into meaningful projects.
