News Reporter
Increasingly common in academic environments, students are creating businesses in order to fund their personal beliefs or causes. Across the nation, high school and college students alike now dabble in entrepreneurship, and Choate is no exception. As recent as September new money-making endeavors have sprung up over the Choate campus. With ambitious and driven architects, these small businesses are quickly being launched into success.
Well-known for being proactive in their opinions, current Choate students have found another outlet for their creativity in running and operating small businesses. The opportunity to show enthusiasm for a cause is not lost on a few, such as Andy Holden ’07, Corey Sherman ’07, and Andrew Ruben ’07.
Disappointed with the lack of Choate spirit in the school store, Holden and Sherman decided to take action. In fall 2005, this team created a sensation on campus with their “Whose House? C-House!” t-shirt. Because that blue-and-gold inspiration was so well received they resolved to create a full-fledged business.
The purpose in mind was to supply any club, sport, or organization with the chance to express their spirit. After being dubbed Hillside Sports, Holden and Sherman teamed up with Zach Remsen ’07 and Tom Kaplan ’06. With money from summer jobs, they hired a printer in St. Louis to make the clothes and created a small website online, hillsidesportsonline.com. This completed, they began their first order of twelve t-shirts for seniors on the Chapin Field Hokey (NYC) team. Since then, the boys have fulfilled many orders, including dorm apparel, the infamous Young Republicans t-shirts, and Lawrenceville soccer jerseys.
In addition to the monetary advantages, the founders of Hillside are working with Choate to establish benefits for both parties. Like all new businesses, Hillside isn’t reaping the rewards quite yet. They are focusing on getting the word out about the company and securing sustainable funds before taking any more significant strides. “We’re almost entirely self-funded,” said Sherman. “So maintaining perfect quality, and a great relationship with clients is key. Once we can establish ourselves then we can work on getting online orders running seamlessly and get our products a permanent place on campus. We haven’t taken any profits yet; but we know it will be better for us and our clients in the long run.”
Another source of pecuniary buzz on campus has been the rapidly expanding Blue State Coffee business of Andrew Ruben ’07. The concept behind the company was formed on an early Saturday father-son coffee run. While discussing their frustration over the 2004 elections in line, Ruben thought of how valuable it would be if the money for the $5 lattes went to a political cause. This novel idea took hold and after a year of “brewing” up the concept, the website launched on September 27th, 2006.
The way Blue State operates is that after purchasing a product, the customer can “vote” for one of four causes. Each fiscal quarter, half of the company’s profit after taxes is donated in amounts corresponding to the customer’s votes. Among the four cause choices is the National Even Start Association, which uses donations to promote early literacy integration for children in poverty-ridden areas and adult education programs. Another choice is supporting Democratic candidates and organizations attempting to gain political office.
With far more monetary resources than most student-run companies coming from his father’s massive investment, Ruben has had the opportunity to take Blue State to the next level. His initial moves for setting the groundwork of Blue State were to create a website, order gear and equipment, find a designer, trademark the name, and of course, get the coffee.
There was also the need for support and guidance from some faculty, such as Mr. and Mrs. Goodyear, who Ruben says it “wouldn’t have been possible without”, and the informal ‘Blue State Cabinet’. This board, made up of Headmaster Shanahan, Mr. and Mrs. Webb, and Ms. Salot, provides important feedback on Blue State affairs.
The pinnacle of a small business’s success will occur for Blue State Coffee this winter: a store. On centrally located Thayer Street of Providence, Rhode Island, many Brown University students will “Drink Liberally,” the company’s official slogan.
With all of the difficulties entrepreneurs face in starting their own businesses, Sherman and Ruben agree one of the greatest tasks as a student is juggling everything; with classes, sports, clubs, etc, managing a business on the side is a big commitment. But this challenge is also satisfying; it gives students the power to work actively for what they believe.
