Starting a business is not easy. Add on being a college student, and things get even more difficult. That is why Lindsay Reeth and Ryan McElhinney were inspired to create the platform, Student-Made.

Student-Made is an experiential program that works in partnership with colleges and universities across the country to identify, engage and support creative student entrepreneurs. The program’s mission is to provide tangible, hands-on entrepreneurship experiences and opportunities on multiple levels for both student-creators and the student-manager team for each campus.

Currently, the program is operating at 20+ campuses, including NC State. At each campus, there is a six-student manager team that works to operate and grow the marketplace on campus. They work like a startup company with the student-creators as their customers.

When students become creators in the program, they join a group that is eager to support them. They can tap into new opportunities, both on and off campus, to grow their business. The students get to be featured and sell on a professional online platform that is customized to their campus. They can also participate in regular pop-up opportunities both on and off campus. In addition, they get access to regular workshops and speakers as well as the ability to connect with student businesses across the country.

A Big Impact on Students

Opportunities to sell, manage and connect give students the chance to make their dreams of operating a business in college a reality. The program helps students navigate the nuances of entrepreneurship. “My favorite part about Student-Made NC State is the helpful resources for young business owners who are just starting. Creating something like a business from the ground up can be extremely overwhelming when doing it on your own. When I joined Student-Made, they provided me with ample information on the legal elements of owning my own business, simplified the process of earning money from sales, supplied a website for me to house my products digitally and laid out a simple way to keep track of sales and progress. Without Student-Made, I don’t think my business would nearly be as successful and personally fulfilling as it is today,” said Delaney Urchuk, a creator with Student-Made and a student from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Student-Made provides creators with the opportunity to sell their products in pop-ups — plus, it is a great way to get connected to the community. “I found out about Student Made by seeing one of their pop-ups on campus during my freshman year. I had been working on my business for a few years prior, but hadn’t expanded out to pop-ups. Student Made provided an amazing opportunity to start doing [these events]! I learned so much about in-person marketing and met so many people who love my art,” said Shaeleigh Smith, a creator and website manager with Student-Made and a student from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.

Finding a community to create and learn with can make a world of difference in a student’s entrepreneurial journey. “NC State creators should join Student-Made because it is the perfect opportunity to network with other creators on campus, as well as work on marketing and promoting their businesses to other students at NC State through on-campus pop-up shops,” said Megan Miller, a creator and marketing manager with Student-Made and a student in the Poole College of Management.

Interested in being a part of Student-Made at NC State? Click here to apply to join for the fall semester! Learn more about the program, meet the creators and stay up to date with events by following @studentmade_ncstate on Instagram.