Oct. 8, 2026
Contact: Brian Consiglio, consigliob@missouri.edu
Photos by Brian Consiglio and Pate McCuien
The University of Missouri empowers student entrepreneurs to build their own businesses by giving them a rent-free space, resources and mentorship to help them thrive.
The Robert and Shelly Family Griggs Innovators Nexus in the MU Student Center is the hub of Mizzou’s entrepreneurial community, giving students opportunities to collaborate and learn firsthand what it takes to start and run a business. Through the Griggs Innovators Nexus, students have access to retail storefronts, incubator spaces, programming, coaching, networking opportunities and other resources to help turn their ideas into businesses.
This fall, students are once again running their businesses inside the Mizzou Student Center through a partnership with the Griggs Innovators Nexus, Missouri Student Unions and U.S. Bank.
While this program has traditionally provided student entrepreneurs with retail storefronts, the program is expanding this year to also include dedicated incubator spaces, giving students with technology-based businesses a place to work, collaborate and grow.
“When it comes to entrepreneurship, this program symbolizes the Missouri Method of experiential learning in action,” said Kelsey Raymond, executive director of entrepreneurship programs at the Griggs Innovators Nexus. “The student entrepreneurs are managing payroll and taxes, hiring people, engaging with customers and having direct conversations with employees about what it takes to run a successful business. It’s an incredible learning opportunity that Mizzou has invested in to support student success.”
This year’s program includes seven students, the largest group to date. Read on to meet the Tigers turning their ideas into businesses.
Wick’ed & Co.
Location: Student Center room 1206
What it is: Handcrafted candles and home fragrance products
Operator: Christen Fatool, a sophomore from Blue Springs, Missouri, studying business administration and business marketing at the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business
When Christen Fatool was taking a tour of Mizzou as a high school senior, she heard about students running their businesses in the Student Center. She instantly knew her handcrafted candles would be a big hit among college students looking to make their home away from home feel warmer and more inviting.
“Not only is the space in the Student Center great for connecting with students who pass by every day, but the staff in the Griggs Innovators Nexus have been so supportive whenever I’ve had a question or needed guidance,” Fatool said.
And she was right about the demand for her products.
“Our Fruit Loops candle has been popular because it smells just like the cereal, and seeing the positive reactions in person from customers has been so rewarding.”
Fatool has also benefited from the resources available through the Griggs Innovators Nexus, including opportunities to attend entrepreneurship events and connect with experienced business owners and professors.
“Building my network and being part of a business community at Mizzou will help me not only as an undergraduate student but in my long-term future as well,” she said
Ottomate Digital
Location: Student Center room 1210D
What it is: A service that helps businesses automate repetitive tasks and save time
Operator: Layton Huff, asophomore from Nixa, Missouri, studying industrial engineering in the College of Engineering
Layton Huff first heard about the Griggs Innovators Nexus after an instructor in Mizzou’s Chancellor’s Leadership Program connected him with Raymond. He later joined the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, where he learned about the incubator and retail space program.
Huff, an industrial engineering student, enjoys finding ways to improve efficiency and realized he could use those skills to help businesses save time.
“I love optimization and making things run better,” Huff said. “I became passionate about helping business owners spend less time doing day-to-day tasks that can be time-consuming and more time working on big-picture goals to help grow their business.”
Huff has since turned those skills into Ottomate Digital, a business-to-business service agency that helps small businesses automate repetitive tasks. He has worked with three clients so far, creating six automations.
For one client, Huff built a process to speed up the onboarding of coworking spaces. Rather than employees having to manually gather information, Huff’s program finds the information online and enters it into the company’s software, saving the company roughly 25 to 30 hours each month.
His incubator space has also given him a place to work alongside a community of fellow entrepreneurs who help keep each other accountable.
“We’re all pretty tight knit and like to check in with each other to see what’s working well and spot areas for improvement,” Huff said. “My message to anyone with an inkling of a business idea is that Mizzou invests in self-starters and supports them along their journey as aspiring business owners.”
EqueTrainer
Location: Student Center room 1210D
What it is: An equine management platform that brings a horse’s care, health, training and team into one connected digital record.
Operator: Roselynn Orr, a junior from Columbia, Missouri, studying agriculture in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources
A mock sales call with a former Mizzou student changed the trajectory of Roselynn Orr’s business idea.
“I spoke to a woman whose hat company has thrived thanks to her previous involvement with the Griggs Innovators Nexus,” Orr said. “I told her about my idea to support horse owners, and she encouraged me to take advantage of everything the Griggs Innovators Nexus has to offer.”
Orr’s business, EqueTrainer, is an equine management platform designed to bring the information surrounding a horse into one connected system. Owners, barn managers, stablehands, trainers, veterinarians, farriers and other equine professionals can use the platform to coordinate care and keep track of health records, training, daily observations, schedules, tasks and other important information. By creating a more complete record of each horse over time, EqueTrainer is designed to help the people responsible for the horse communicate more effectively, recognize meaningful changes earlier and make better-informed decisions about its care, health and training.
“Mizzou is a place where students who prioritize innovation and creativity are encouraged and supported with opportunities to thrive,” Orr said. “Learning from different people in the Griggs Innovators Nexus who have different skills than me has been so helpful for me in terms of growing as a person and as a business owner.”
Orr hopes to launch the mobile app in the spring and is currently working with horse owners to ensure it is as user-friendly as possible.
“Being a student here at Mizzou has helped build my self-confidence,” Orr said. “Not only are there so many opportunities for entrepreneurs to network and learn, but the people at Mizzou who provide these opportunities are so supportive that it makes it feel like I’m part of a community.”
Rooted
Location: Student Center room 1206
What it is: Custom permanent jewelry designed to celebrate meaningful connections
Operator: Isabel Tom, a junior from Springfield, Illinois, studying accountancy in the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business
For Isabel Tom, running Rooted in the Mizzou Student Center has been an opportunity to build connections with customers while learning what it takes to run a business.
Tom’s permanent jewelry business offers tarnish-resistant bracelets, necklaces and other accessories designed to celebrate meaningful moments.
“I’m glad to see repeat customers because it shows that people really enjoy what I have to offer,” Tom said. “Hearing how permanent jewelry can connect to someone’s favorite memory or a shared experience with a friend or family member has been so special.”
The Griggs Innovators Nexus has also helped Tom navigate the challenges of running a business while balancing her responsibilities as a student.
“Kelsey Raymond has been so supportive and helpful throughout this whole process,” Tom said. “She has mentored me when it comes to managing finances and learning how to operate my own business, and she gives great life advice, too, which shows she genuinely cares about us.”
CasaSoul
Location: Student Center room 1212A
What it is: Homemade, soulful meals inspired by cultural traditions
Operator: Davion Spearman, a sophomore from Chicago, studying biology in the College of Arts and Science
When Davion Spearman came to Mizzou from Chicago, he noticed something missing from the food options in Columbia: the soulful meals he grew up eating.
Because Spearman grew up cooking, he saw an opportunity to bring those flavors to campus through CasaSoul, which offers prepackaged meals that customers can enjoy immediately or take home for later.
“It feels great to be able to share the meals that I grew up loving with the Mizzou community,” Spearman said. “Giving people the chance to broaden their taste buds has been rewarding.”
CasaSoul’s popular menu items include jerk chicken and banana pudding. Spearman said having a storefront in the Student Center has made his food more accessible to students who might otherwise have difficulty getting to an off-campus location.
“With the Student Center being such a high-traffic area, especially around lunchtime, this opportunity has helped me grow my business right in the heart of campus,” Spearman said.
Spearman added that the support he has received through the Griggs Innovators Nexus, including biweekly meetings with the other student entrepreneurs in the Student Center, has helped him navigate the experience.
“The support I’ve received from Kelsey and my fellow student entrepreneurs has inspired me to want to help out and give advice to other students who are interested in entrepreneurship, so it’s been a cool experience,” Spearman said.
Returning businesses
State Street Spices, LLC
Location: Student Center room 1207
What it is: Spice blends inspired by food cultures and regional flavors
Operator: Andrew Rubin, a sophomore from Chesterfield, Missouri, studying business administration in the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business and statistics in the College of Arts and Science
Andrew Rubin is now in his second year running State Street Spices from an incubator space in the Mizzou Student Center, where his spice business has continued to grow with support from the Griggs Innovators Nexus.
And his business has grown far beyond the walls of the Student Center. In the past year, State Street Spices has expanded into 26 Dierbergs stores, 11 independent retailers and roughly 250 World Market stores nationwide.
“I’m truly thankful for all the support I’ve received at Mizzou, especially from Kelsey and others in the Griggs Innovators Nexus,” Rubin said. “What makes Mizzou stand out compared to other universities that offer entrepreneurship programs is that we get to keep 100% of our business and we don’t have to pay rent or utilities while in the Student Center, so the environment sets us up for success from day one.”
RUSHfuel
Location: Student Center room 1212B
What it is: High-protein, all-natural smoothies and açaí bowls
Operator: Dominic St. Jean, a junior from O’Fallon, Missouri, studying finance in the Robert J. Trulaske, Sr. College of Business and economics in the College of Arts and Science
Dominic St. Jean is now in his second year running RUSHfuel in the Mizzou Student Center, and he has already seen how much he can learn from the experience.
“I think it’s a lot better this year in terms of organization because we already had a lot of stuff settled in,” St. Jean said. “But there’s also a lot of things that we can still work on, like getting our finances to industry standards.”
St. Jean has also taken on an informal mentorship role among the student entrepreneurs, sharing what he has learned with newer students during the group’s biweekly meetings.
“I try to help the other students out as much as possible, knowing that I’ve been here the longest out of all the retail spaces,” St. Jean said. “I try to give them ideas about different things they can do to better their business and learn from my experience.”
For St. Jean, the opportunity has provided lessons that go well beyond the classroom, including learning about accounting, finances and employee management.
“There’s a lot of things that I learned about business through this experience that complement what I’ve learned in class,” St. Jean said. “I’m appreciative of the Griggs Innovators Nexus for giving me this opportunity.”
