By Avery Ballmann | Staff Writer
Tuesday’s Dr Pepper Hour was accompanied by businessmen and women who had an opportunity to share their hard work with the student body.
The legislative branch of Student Government and the entrepreneurship club hosted an entrepreneur fair to support students and their small businesses.
Little Rock, Ark., junior Ginger Gordon is the president pro tempore of the Senate. Gordon is the president’s advisor and helped plan the event.
“It connects us further into the community,” Gordon said. “I think it’s always good when we show that we are on the students’ side and celebrate their wins on campus.”
Eleven student-run small businesses attended the fair. Each business set up a booth with alluring items and signage. A variety of businesses were present at the event, including a skateboard clothing business run by Malibu, Calif., junior Dan Rettinger.
“This is my first time selling at a formal event,” Rettinger said. “I have the Farmer’s Market this Sunday, so it kinda gave me a feel for selling clothes and marketing myself at an event. It was pretty exciting to be a part of the Dr Pepper Hour.”
Not only did this event give a space for vendors to sell their merchandise, but also quality experience in the real buyer’s world.
Rettinger sketches all of his designs for his apparel, stickers and eventually skate decks on his iPad. He studies during the day and works on his business at night. Rettinger plans to print his own shirts in the upcoming weeks from his bedroom, and from there he plans to obtain retail space downtown.
The entrepreneur event also represented businesses who did not barter merchandised goods. McLane, Va., freshman Anna Romani runs a photography business and has experienced the struggles of being a businesswoman and full-time college student, but her work has a meaning behind the busyness of it all.
“It definitely requires time management,” Romani said. “I’m lucky that I have experience in doing that at high school, but honestly I love it because it gives me a break from studying all day. Doing something that I really love and help people in Uganda at the same time.”
Romani donates 25% of her proceeds to a village she has visited in Uganda. The money helps with school supplies and medical care for the village. Romani shared that moving her business from northern Virginia to Baylor has been challenging.
“Especially as a freshman, it’s kinda difficult initially to get your name out there and establish yourself,” Romani said. “I was able to share my business with people who I normally wouldn’t have been able to meet.”
Gordon sees the importance in celebrating students’ hard work that goes into making these businesses.
“I’m hoping this will not be the last of this, there are some discussions in the works about expanding this event to something held on Fountain Mall,” Gordon said. “This might just be a small step towards something greater in the future.”
