Tiger businesses take off
Mizzou’s Entrepreneur Quest graduates and their startups continue successful trajectories.
The University of Missouri’s Entrepreneur Quest (EQ) program has a successful track record of jumpstarting student businesses. Since its first year in 2018, 50 Mizzou teams representing multiple disciplines have participated in the competition — and more than $184,000 has been awarded to help them make their business dreams a reality.
“The purpose of EQ is to provide a launch pad for our student entrepreneurs so they can grow their ventures and contribute to society,” said Greg Bier, executive director of entrepreneurship programs based at the Griggs Innovators Nexus in the MU Student Center. “It’s rewarding to see the progress and success EQ graduates have achieved so far.”
Read on for updates from a few thriving EQ graduates.
BTB Kicks
Blake Brown stands in the reception area of his retail store. In 2023, Brown won $10,000 from EQ.
Founder: Blake Brown, B.S. B.A. ’23
Location: 250 1/2 Chicago Ave., Oak Park, Illinois
Follow BTB Kicks on Instagram or YouTube
Type of business: BTB Kicks specializes in restoring a wide variety of sneakers, including classic Jordans, Adidas Yeezys and Nike Air Max styles along with everyday brands such as New Balance, Hoka, Nike Air Force 1, Asics, Birkenstock, Ugg and Timberland.
“BTB Kicks serves a diverse clientele, ranging from casual sneaker enthusiasts to serious collectors and resellers,” Brown said. “Our expertise lies in meticulous cleaning, color restoration, sole protection and custom artwork, ensuring each pair looks and feels brand new.”
Milestones: Brown held the grand opening of the BTB Kicks retail store in April.
“The best moment that day was actually cutting the ribbon in the presence of my family and friends,” Brown said. “Everything came full circle for me — something that I did for fun in my mom’s laundry room as a hobby in middle school and high school is now a real business with a storefront in my hometown.”
In the beginning, Brown relied on word-of-mouth and social media to market his services, but he struggled to grow his client base. Mizzou taught him the importance of customer discovery research, being willing to pivot as circumstances change and taking different problem-solving approaches. Now, BTB Kicks is so booked that Brown recently hired two employees to keep up with demand.
“I would like to thank all of the business professors I had the pleasure of learning from during my time at Mizzou as well as the Entrepreneur Quest program for providing me with the textbook knowledge of business and for their consistent support of my business endeavors,” Brown said.
Partner for Better
Kasey Hammock specializes in helping nonprofits succeed. In 2022, she was chosen as an EQ finalist and won $1,500 as the audience favorite during a pitch competition.
Founder: Kasey Hammock, B.S.W. ’16, M.A. ’18, Ph.D. ’24
Location: Columbia, Missouri
partnerforbetter.com
Type of business: Partner for Better provides nonprofits, foundations and corporate social responsibility departments with tailored services in areas such as grant writing, fundraising, capacity building and program evaluation. Hammock was inspired to establish the business after spending more than a decade working for nonprofit organizations.
“Our passion is to empower professionals, particularly executive directors of small nonprofits, to overcome challenges and achieve their missions more effectively,” Hammock said. “I’m committed to fostering sustainable, impactful change within this sector.”
Milestones: Partner for Better now has four employees and a growing client base.
“We’re working on developing a set of low-cost tools and resource groups to bridge the gap between what services are currently available for small and startup nonprofits and what’s needed for them to grow,” Hammock said.
So far, more than 50 nonprofits have taken advantage of Partner for Better services, which Hammock continues to refine and enhance. She said she’s proud that she and her team have helped their clients secure over $5 million in grants and launched innovative programs like The Do Good Collective, an incubator specifically for nonprofits.
“Mizzou played a crucial role in the start-up of Partner for Better by providing a solid foundation for planning and numerous networking opportunities,” Hammock said. “The lessons learned and the relationships built at Mizzou continue to be assets in our ongoing success and evolution.”
Parker's Brick Builds
Parker Owens displays a couple of his products, which he sells to retail stores and corporate partners. In 2023, he won $15,000 from EQ.
Founder: Parker Owens, B.S. B.A. ’21, B.J. ’21, J.D. ’24
Location: Springfield, Missouri
parkersbrickbuilds.com
Type of business: Parker’s Brick Builds creates and sells Lego-style building kits for wholesale to retailers in more than 30 states. The company also designs branded or customized kits for schools and corporate partners.
“Since EQ ended, I have launched multiple exclusive items, including products for MU’s School of Law and the Graduate School,” Owens said. “My Columns kits, which are for sale in the Mizzou Store, also are being used by Mizzou Advancement as door prizes.”
Milestones: The company now has three year-round employees as well as a group of seasonal employees. More than 50 stores nationwide are selling Owens’ kits.
“I think that number might reach 100 by the end of the year,” Owens said. “My corporate partnerships are continuing to develop as well — for example, I’m producing items for the U.S. Bank Foundation this fall.”
In October, Owens plans to debut nine new products — his largest product release to date. Next year, his company is launching a “build subscription” for stores and individuals interested in receiving a unique kit each month for a year.
“Mizzou really kicked off my entrepreneurial journey,” Owens said. “Before EQ, I knew some business basics, but the practical skills that I learned from the program have been enormously helpful as I continue to grow and develop my business further.”
Printerior
Hayden Seidel (left) and Trent Esser (right) stand in front of the production line used to launch their first 3D-printed filament products made from recycled materials. In 2020, they won $5,000 from EQ.
Founders: Hayden Seidel, B.S. Ci.E. ’20, and Trent Esser, B.S. B.A. ’20
Location: St. Louis
printeriordesigns.com
Type of business: Printerior is an additive manufacturing company that uses recycled and sustainable bioplastics to produce filaments for most 3D printers on the market. The company also is an on-demand manufacturing house for 3D-printed products used in the architecture, aerospace, maritime and industrial molding industries.
“Hayden and I founded this business because we both have a passion for emerging technologies and sustainability,” Esser said. “Recent developments in 3D printing allowed us to combine our focus areas into a business that can help fight the world’s plastic problem in new and innovative ways.”
Milestones: In 2021, Seidel and Esser won a $50,000 grant from the St. Louis-based Arch Grants program. Printerior now has five employees (including its two founders), three commercial products and Fortune 500 clients. In the next few months, they plan to move to a larger production facility and bring their new printing technology to market.
“Printerior has grown faster than we ever could have imagined,” Esser said. “Without the support networks provided by EQ and Mizzou, I’m not sure we would have been able to get our business off the ground.”
Murray Kennel Co.
Jack Murray and his dog, Heidi, show one of his portable dog crates. In 2022, Murray won $15,000 from EQ.
Founder: Jack Murray, a fourth-year veterinary student at Mizzou
Location: Columbia
murraykennelcompany.com
Type of business: Murray Kennel Co. is working to carve a niche in the growing pet industry by offering customers a collapsible dog crate. The idea for a space-saving design came to Murray during the COVID-19 pandemic while navigating a bulky, traditional dog crate in his tiny apartment. Since then, Murray has continued refining his design.
“After additional market research, we pivoted from our Murphy bed concept that attaches to a wall to concentrate on perfecting a lightweight yet durable collapsible dog crate that can be used for travel,” Murray said. “Of course, our crate is space saving and can still fold flat against any wall.”
Milestones: Murray has applied for a patent, developed an e-commerce website and worked with an engineer to create prototypes using 3D printing. His next steps are to find collaborators and raise enough capital to produce the molds necessary to manufacture the crates.
“The University of Missouri was the springboard behind Murray Kennel Co. in terms of business mentorship and the immense number of networking connections,” Murray said. “Mizzou expedited my small business venture, and many current students and alumni helped me get it off the ground.”
ALLTER
Michelle Gershkovich’s platform helps online shoppers choose accurate clothing sizes. In 2022, Gershkovich won $5,000 from EQ.
Founder: Michelle Gershkovich, B.S. TAM ’22
Location: Chicago
allter.dev
Type of business: ALLTER is an artificial intelligence-powered tool that recommends accurate and personalized garment sizes for online customers, fashion and uniform designers and e-commerce industries interested in reducing costly returns and their environmental impact.
“I founded ALLTER in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic when shopping online was the only option,” Gershkovich said. “After purchasing and having to deal with returns, I decided that there needed to be a better solution to receive garments that fit perfectly the first time. I owe it to Mizzou for being a wonderful launching pad for us.”
Milestones: ALLTER, which now has six full-time employees, has secured multiple rounds of funding since EQ. The development team has created a functional sizing tool, and Gershkovich is currently working with companies to beta test and perfect it. ALLTER already has a waiting list of clients and is the newest member of the 1871 Chicago Entrepreneurship Association.
“From limitless opportunities to wise professors, Mizzou has supported and promoted ALLTER every step of the way – welcoming my ideas with open arms while simultaneously pushing me to think outside of the box, arming me with knowledge and guidance,” Gershkovich said.