Published on Show Me Mizzou Dec. 19, 2024
Story by Blaire Leible Garwitz, MA ’06
There’s palpable energy in the air at the MU Student Center when class is in session. The food court, coffee shop and bookstore get hectic. But a particular excitement radiates from the Robert and Shelly Griggs Family Innovators Nexus, a collaborative space in the center where student entrepreneurs from different academic backgrounds learn how to turn their business dreams into reality.
“Our key to success is being housed in the Student Center and not tied to an academic unit,” says Greg Bier, executive director of entrepreneurship programs. “Students don’t need a passport to come to the Nexus if they have a ‘foreign’ nonbusiness major. We’ve worked with students ranging from freshmen to doctoral candidates who represent every school on campus.”
Nexus participants can collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs, get business advice and practice sales pitches. The Nexus contains incubator office spaces for students launching online ventures and four retail storefronts for those interested in a brick-and-mortar store. These spaces are awarded annually through a competitive selection process. One of this year’s storefronts is Sips on the Go, a beverage business specializing in all-natural lotus plant energy drinks. Business is booming, and the store makes an average of 300 sales a day.
Reagan Eaves, a senior communications major who owns Sips on the Go, describes the collaboration at Nexus as “incredibly beneficial.” “The Nexus staff has helped me navigate several obstacles, and the retail space owners regularly meet to discuss any issues we’re having,” she says. “They’ve given me so many helpful suggestions.”
The Nexus also hosts a chapter of the Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization to offer networking opportunities. Through the Entrepreneur Quest (EQ) Student Accelerator program, students receive business education and mentorship. Each year, EQ culminates in a competition in which student entrepreneurs compete for seed money to fund their businesses. The most recent winner, Parker Owens, tripled his business over the course of the EQ program. Owens, a 2024 law school graduate, designs custom Lego builds, including a set of Mizzou’s iconic columns, and is developing a subscription service to send a new project to subscribers each month.
Parker’s Brick Builds are now sold in 60 stores. “I wouldn’t be where I am today without the Nexus,” he says. “It was an amazing environment to be in, with a fantastic mentorship program."
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