Mizzou’s hustle culture finds home on new online retail platform

As a student artist herself, it’s no surprise that Kora Lyon found herself drawn to the opportunity to empower fellow artists at the University of Missouri. When Student-Made Founders Lindsay Reeth and Ryan McElhinney spoke to Lyon’s entrepreneurship class, Lyon was intrigued by the inventive online retail platform, which provides college students a national platform to sell their products. 

Lyon, a psychology major who’s also pursuing a minor in entrepreneurship & innovation, applied to lead Mizzou’s Student-Made online marketplace as a Student Manager. After an interview, Lyon was offered the Campus Manager position. In the role, Lyon will oversee five other Student Managers to help ensure the team is meeting its goals. She will also connect one-on-one with creators and provide support to everyone in Mizzou’s Student-Made community.

“It is so refreshing to have a platform that supports and allows this community of people to thrive,” Lyon said. “It can be overwhelming learning how to start, and Student-Made provides every resource needed.” 

Experience-centered learning through online retail

Mizzou is one of six universities scheduled to join Student-Made’s expansive network of participating college campuses this fall. The opportunity was made possible thanks to leadership provided by the Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) in Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, and financial sponsorship provided by Trulaske supporter Stuart Bascomb, whose donation is helping to fund the Student-Made program at the Mizzou campus. 

Trulaske’s CEI worked with Student-Made to bring the program to campus, and will continue to work with both the Student-Made organization and the Student Managers to ensure the best possible experience and education for both Student Managers and vendors. According to Sophia Rivera Hassemer, CEI director of operations, the program will provide outstanding experience-centered learning opportunities for students — one of Trulaske’s three pillars of excellence.

“It goes beyond a hands-on experience; it is truly a real-world experience. Students on the platform will be running their own business while maintaining their academic course load. So, while they are enrolled in their usual coursework, they will be reinforcing what they learn in the classroom in real time,” Hassemer said. “Students will gain experience in managing their customer relations, marketing, supply chain management, resource management, and of course dip a toe into accounting.”

Joining Lyon as the inaugural Student Managers at Mizzou are Alexis Anderson, marketing manager; Revathi Kurup, events & partnerships manager; Mason Morris, finance & strategy manager; Anyshya Hemphill, website manager; and Molly Levine, community engagement manager.

Hemphill, who is studying computer science and psychology at Mizzou, looks forward to having an opportunity to hone her collaboration skills.

“A portion of my role that excites me, is that I come up with new ideas for what can be featured on the Student-Made Mizzou Store,” Hemphill said. “I will work with the other Managers to do this, which will position me to communicate my ideas and learn from others. I will also be developing my e-commerce business skills by learning the processes of getting products from a creator to an online platform to a customer.”

Kurup, who is majoring in business administration with a minor in entrepreneurship & innovation, will be organizing pop-up events to give student creators a chance to showcase their work in person. 

“I was inspired to join Student-Made because I’ve always wanted to be part of something bigger than myself, something that lets me grow as a leader while making a real difference for others,” Kurup said. “As someone who is passionate about business and community, this program felt like the perfect mix.”

The team is on track to launch the Mizzou Student-Made Store at Trulaske’s TruWelcome event Aug. 22. While the vendor list is still being finalized, Student-Made goods typically include handmade art, apparel, accessories and more.

“Student-Made is an organization run by students for students,” Kurup said. “Shopping here means directly supporting small business owners who are part of our Mizzou community. It’s a chance to support student creators, celebrate their work and make a real impact just by choosing to shop local.”

Fostering an entrepreneurial mindset across campus

While Trulaske is sponsoring and managing the partnership with Student-Made, the platform and opportunities are available to all Mizzou students, regardless of year or major. 

“Even if you are not a student entrepreneur, you will now be able to see all the amazing things fellow students are doing across campus,” Hassemer said. “Maybe that will get someone thinking, what could I do?, and we will be here at Trulaske to support them through that thought process and explore those possibilities.” 

It’s an opportunity to build upon another pillar of excellence at the Trulaske College of Business: inspiring an entrepreneurial mindset.

“We’re excited to be able to bring this fun, innovative opportunity to campus,” said Trulaske College of Business Dean Balaji Rajagopalan. “Trulaske is committed to helping all Mizzou students build a path to success through entrepreneurship. For student creators in all disciplines and academic areas, this will be a tremendous first step.”

Providing access to a transformative technology

The Student-Made program incorporates Trulaske’s third pillar of excellence, as well: Providing students with access to transformative technologies.

“Student-Made is an easy access point for entrepreneurs at any and all levels to get their business off the ground and to build their confidence and knowledge in the E-commerce sector, all the while earing 100% of all sales made on the platform,” Hassemer said.

Student vendors can apply throughout the semester to be listed on the site. Vendors pay a $60 fee per semester to Student-Made, which helps fund training and programming for the Student Managers.

In addition to a powerful retail platform and the opportunity to participate in events, creators will also enjoy the built-in support system provided by the Student Managers.

“Student-Made wasn’t founded as just a platform to give students a place to sell their products,” Hemphill said. “It’s about giving creators a support system that can help them through the ebs and flows of entrepreneurship.”

Follow @studentmade_mizzou on Instagram for more information.

Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business prepares students for success as global citizens, business leaders, scholars, innovators and entrepreneurs by providing access to transformative technologies, offering experience-centered learning opportunities and fostering an entrepreneurial mindset.