‘Where Health Meets Hustle’: Trulaske entrepreneur helps power Mizzou campus

Like most kids, siblings Dominic St. Jean and Gabriella St. Jean participated in a cherished tradition: running their own lemonade stand. When the two found themselves trying to come up with fresh, healthy snacks as college students years later, that entrepreneurial mindset began flowing once again.

“Fresh fruit is not always easy to store, and blenders are not dorm-friendly since they are loud and inconvenient,” Dominic said. “That is when we saw an opportunity to bring our passion and heritage to Mizzou students by making clean, vibrant, Caribbean-inspired smoothies and bowls both accessible and affordable.”

Dominic, who’s pursuing degrees in business and economics at the University of Missouri-Columbia, and Gabriella, who’s studying environmental science at Mizzou, started by conducting their own market research. A survey of more than 700 Mizzou students showed there was significant demand for healthier dining options. 

“It started as just an idea, but once we tested it, we knew it had potential,” Dominic said.

Thanks to a successful pitch to the Griggs Innovators Nexus, the two entrepreneurs earned a spot in the MU Student Center. Once the storefront was secured, they developed a menu and lined up suppliers. 

On Aug. 17, RUSHfuel opened its doors, and has been keeping busy students on the move with smoothies and açaí bowls ever since. Just like their motto, “Where Health Meets Hustle,” the sibling entrepreneurs are using their own sense of hustle to help power a busy campus.

“We focus on clean ingredients, fresh flavors, and fueling students with both health and energy,” Dominic said. “Students, athletes, and entrepreneurs all need fuel for the hustle, and we wanted to be the place where people can grab something clean that keeps them going.”

When it came to learning the ropes, Dominic turned to Smoothie King franchise owners and even spent a week working for free at one of the establishments. 

“That hands-on experience gave me a practical understanding of daily operations, margins, and customer flow that helped us build RUSHfuel,” he said.

Dominic points to the Cornell Leadership Program and the University of Missouri Investment Group, both programs offered by Mizzou’s Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business, for helping him build skills necessary to launch his own business.

“They have connected me with people who are always open to answering my questions, and I have even been mentored by Kelsey Raymond, an alum of the Cornell Leadership Program,” he said. “Having that support system has been a huge part of our success.”

Trulaske’s focus on fostering an entrepreneurial mindset helps ensure Mizzou’s business students are prepared to step into leadership roles like the ones offered by the Griggs Innovators Nexus.

“Trulaske’s quality classroom instruction and experience-centered learning opportunities help ensure that business students like Dominic have the confidence and know-how to thrive in entrepreneurial roles,” said Balaji Rajagopalan, Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. Dean of the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business. “Not only are Dominic and Gabriella helping to fuel our busy students, but they’re also serving as role models for other young entrepreneurs.” 

Raymond’s excited to see the business take off and says the siblings had the recipe for success from the very beginning.

“Gabby and Dominic demonstrated a real gap in the market for protein shakes and açaí bowls on campus,” Raymond said. “They also did a great job explaining their personal connection to the business idea, and why they had the experience and skill sets to bring it to life.”

Competitive pricing and quality ingredients make RUSHfuel stand out, said Raymond, BSBA ‘11. The fact that it’s student-owned makes it unique, as well. 

Running his own business has expanded upon what Dominic’s learning in the classroom, giving him greater insight into margins, supply chains, management and more. It’s also broadened his horizons.

“RUSHfuel has shown me how much I enjoy building and running businesses, so I see myself combining both paths, finance and entrepreneurship, down the line.”

Being a student entrepreneur does come with challenges. And lots of juggling.

“Balancing time has been the hardest,” Dominic said. “Keeping everything moving at once has been a big challenge, but also a huge growth opportunity.”

Just like a great smoothie, Dominic and Gabriella’s complementary skills blend perfectly, with Dominic focusing on the finance and business side, and Gabriella overseeing customer experience and operations. Together, they’ve concocted a delicious business venture. And perhaps a bit more.

“We want to create a culture around healthy eating on campus and prove that a student-run business can compete at a high level,” Dominic said. “More than just smoothies, we want RUSHfuel to be something students remember as a part of their college experience and a model for other students who have big ideas.”

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.