Typically, young adults attending college may balance their studies with extracurriculars and part-time jobs, but some students at ASU break that norm by opening a business.
Dylan Capshaw, a freshman studying business entrepreneurship, is already heavily involved in the business world. He started his first nonprofit when he was in elementary school and has since created several other enterprises.
"I've always loved being an entrepreneur and entrepreneurship in general," Capshaw said. "I just love staying busy. I love doing my own thing, doing unique things."
Capshaw is the CEO of Stemistry, a flower bar and coffee lab with two locations open in the Valley. He started the company in 2022 and plans to continue growing the business.
"At some point, I want to go out of state with them," Capshaw said. "We're looking at opening our third, possibly in Flagstaff or Sedona, just to test out how it would be running something slightly remote."
Adrian Rodriguez Rivera, a sophomore studying business entrepreneurship, is another ASU student who runs a business in addition to attending the University.
"I started the brand in junior year of high school," Rodriguez Rivera said. "By the time that I got into ASU, I was attending markets, doing things at downtown Phoenix, and from there, I just got really lucky and got the opportunity to open up a little retail spot."
Rodriguez Rivera runs Ito, a clothing brand that specializes in streetwear. He said the designs and colors of the pieces are inspired by the "vibrant culture" of Puerto Rico.
Student entrepreneurs face unique challenges due to the added responsibilities of their businesses. The students must acquire skills to keep up with the constant flow of tasks and duties.
Capshaw said scheduling and calendar management are important tools for student entrepreneurs. He said different aspects of student life – fitness, socializing, work, school – each have a time and place.
"It's crazy what you can accomplish in a day," Capshaw said. "I have every five minutes scheduled out, and it helps me be really productive and not fall behind."
Between classwork and workplace operations, students may not have a lot of time to take for themselves.
"(My schedule) leaves very little time for me to decompress and sort of become a human again," Rodriguez Rivera said.
To unwind between school and work, Rodriguez Rivera said he spends time with friends and family or gets active by going rock climbing.
For Capshaw, balance is key to maintaining his lifestyle. Recognizing which activities, whether social or work-based, should be prioritized is crucial, he said.
"If I'm socializing too much, everything else falls out of line. If I'm not socializing enough, same thing," Capshaw said.
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Kristin Slice, the director of community entrepreneurship at the J. Orin Edson Entrepreneurship + Innovation Institute, acknowledged these difficulties students face, but she believes that they are worth the challenge.
Slice said she used to support small business owners who focused on efficient results and help communicate their vision.
"The more you can learn those skills now, the better," Slice said. "It sets you up for success in the rest of your career."
Joy Griffin, an assistant teaching professor of technology, entrepreneurship and management at The Polytechnic School, shared Slice's sentiments.
"I really encourage my students, yes, pivot and fail and pick yourself up and keep going," Griffin said. "Have a grit mindset and a growth mindset that you can do these hard things, and that you can overcome them."
Griffin also said that all students should gain these abilities, not just students focused on entrepreneurship.
"Moving into the skill sets that you're going to need in 2030 to be successful, one of the biggest skill sets is going to be curiosity," Griffin said. "You need creativity and you need curiosity, and you need to make connections amongst ideas."
Student entrepreneurs break the mold of the traditional path to business ownership. However, their accomplishments are proof that it is possible to find success in the industry, even without the benefits of age.
"Being a younger entrepreneur, it definitely puts you in this little box where immediately people think that you're starting from zero, and they don't really think you're going to make it that far," Rodriguez Rivera said. "(People) actually believe in me and trust me to actually make something cool."
Edited by Senna James, Sophia Ramirez and Natalia Jarrett.
Reach the reporter at kagore1@asu.edu and follow @kategore_17 on X.
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Kate is a freshman studying journalism and mass communication. This is her second semester with The State Press.
