Liberty students market small businesses at Side Hustle Expo | Liberty News

Liberty University’s Center for Entrepreneurship hosted its second annual Side Hustle Expo on Wednesday, affording students the chance to showcase their small businesses with a chance to win prizes.

The event, held in the School of Business main lobby, featured 23 different student-run businesses offering products and services, from a plant business to jewelry, Christian fitness apparel, photography, textbook resale, hair services, a coffee/book shop, and more. Many students had products available for purchase.

In addition, a panel of judges graded each presentation and awarded first and second place prizes. Expo attendees could also vote for the “People’s Choice Award.”

Junior Connor Bradley, a civil engineering student, took gold and won a $100 Amazon gift card with his business, Old Dominion Aerial, which uses a drone for agriculture uses, such as weed and pest control, seed planting, and mapping analysis. Senior Guinevere Collins finished runner-up and received a $50 Amazon gift card with SafeBabe, which sells customizable self-defense keychains. Restyle Vintage, which sells thrifted clothing and is run by students Aaron Pait and Seth Thompson, earned the People’s Choice Award.

Business Professor Kristin Boyce, who serves as director of the Center for Entrepreneurship, noted that the center, and specifically the expo, provide an outlet for Liberty students to flesh out their ideas.

“I love that we are able to provide this opportunity, this platform, and this space for them to showcase their businesses,” she said. “A lot of them have taken hobbies and have monetized them. Then we can come behind the scenes and help them figure out what those business plans look like.”

Recognizing that entrepreneurs can come from any field of study, this event catered to any student, regardless of their degree program or year.

“For some of the students, it provides them the first opportunity to engage with customers face to face. This is opening up the door for them to be exposed to their peers,” Boyce said. “Also, we have some different business owners coming in, so it could even be an opportunity for investors to expand and offer that product in their areas and mentor the students.”

Writing and theatre arts freshman Madeline Pope created Acts of Faith Publications, a Christian publishing company that markets Christian musicals to theaters and schools.

“I’ve always loved theatre and writing, and I wanted a way to combine those,” she said. “There aren’t many companies that sell Christian musicals, but there’s definitely a market for it.”

“I love this opportunity and the ability to put my name out there being part of this expo,” she added. “It’s been a great experience.”

Junior Owen McCone, who is studying financial planning and economics, showcased his company Fill Your Cup (FYC), which sells spill-proof glass cups featuring various Christian messages. Because of its focus on furthering the Gospel, the company also takes a portion of its weekly sales and donates to causes like St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or Operation Blessing.

“We really just want it to be a conversation piece,” he said, noting that he gave his life to Christ as a student at LU. “I like to think of it as nonverbal evangelism. You could be walking around with a ‘Jesus loves you’ cup, and someone could think, ‘I really needed to see that today.’

Boyce encouraged students to visit the Center for Entrepreneurship or email C4E@liberty.edu to find out how they can successfully market their hobbies into profitable ventures.

“The Center for Entrepreneurship is here as a resource for all Liberty students,” she said. “We want to come alongside the students and help them to engage and feel empowered. The expo is just one more outlet and opportunity that we have been able to put on from the center. We are continuously thinking of ways that we can be innovative and offer opportunities.”

The Side Hustle Expo was one of several events that the center held to recognize Global Entrepreneurship Week. On Monday, students were invited to take part in an Entrepreneurship Scavenger Hunt, and a Women’s Entrepreneurship Day Webinar was held on Tuesday.