Since 2010 McPherson College has been encouraging the entrepreneurial ideas of its students by awarding mini-grants that help students develop innovative solutions to common problems. With nearly 250 grants awarded, the college recently announced the latest recipients of the Horizon Fund Grants.
This fall, the Horizon Fund is providing grants to 11 students with ideas ranging from guerilla retailing to vehicle towing. The individual grants range from $100 to $500 and students have the opportunity to reapply for continued funding of an existing Horizon Fund project.
Abbey Archer-Rierson, chief of staff and head of the entrepreneurship program at McPherson College, said, “The Horizon Fund grant is just one of the many ways that McPherson College demonstrates its commitment to entrepreneurship and supporting entrepreneurial students on our campus. The grants have supported a variety of wildly creative ideas and this most recent round of funding is no exception.”
Any McPherson College student, in any major of study is eligible for the grant, whether individually or as part of a team. Grant proposals are considered each semester and evaluated by a team of faculty and staff that interview each applicant.
Recipients of the fall Horizon Fund grants are:
- Evan Willow – iPhone repair business: “I’m targeting college student to give them the opportunity to get their iPhone fixed at a reasonable price.”
- Carlos Espinel – Repurpose and restore Coleman lanterns: “The old collectible, American-made, Coleman lanterns are a hot commodity right now and are fairly easy to find around here. The market appeal is to outdoor enthusiast, antique collectors and some vintage automobile clubs, but not limited to those markets.”
- Mason Duffy – Finding and selling rare, vintage, and new car parts: “I will be creating a business that resells rare and vintage parts for Japanese imports, along with my own line of custom made composite parts, t-shirts, and stickers. I want this to be a one-stop online shop where people can buy hard to find vintage parts, new parts, and shirts to look cool while driving their project cars.”
- Juan Torres – Tire repair business: “I would like to acquire tools to perform difficult tire repair. There are many vehicles that have split wheels that shops are not willing to repair. It’s common for people to get stuck on a project simply because they can’t move it. I want to serve the McPherson College Automotive Restoration program’s students as well as community members who need assistance.”
- Riley Richardson – Clothing business: “I buy and sell clothing items from Supreme clothing company. The clothes are extremely coveted and hard to get directly from the store. I buy the items direct and then resell them to people willing to pay a premium. There is a large market for this brand and people willing to buy the clothes after they sell out online.”
- Nathan Buckler – Peaches Shop-Auto Shop: “I would like to rent spaces in my shop. I have a place that is secure, safe, and has reliable wi-fi. I’d like to update the lighting and work on developing a rental agreement for the spaces.”
- Alex Ramsier – Auto paint and body shop: “Many young entrepreneurs start their business careers after college. I hope to establish a business front with a customer base while I am still in school. I have been completing paint and body work for customers and think this will become a successful and profitable business for me. My goal is to run my own business and turn my passion into a living.”
- Andrew Verkteris – Affordable towing and recovery: “My goal is to take my experience in this field and build a business here. The funds would be used on my vehicle so it complies with Kansas regulations. I would provide an affordable vehicle transport option for the students in the Automotive Restoration program.”
- Micah Gilbert – Photography business: “I hope to continue expanding my photography business while I am in college and expand my freelance opportunities. I still haven’t specialized in a specific type of photography, but I am leaning toward nature photography, which can be an expensive area because you need good gear to get the best shots. I’d like to use this grant to expand into that area.”
- Isiah Hill – Nimbus – listening to music with other senses: “My idea revolves around driving community culture toward a shared value. Being able to build a home studio can lay out a foundation to enhance the future of consuming media. I want to provide access to those who have something positive to contribute and create a new way of comprehending music.”
- Kylee Martin – Zumbathon benefiting Giving Hope to Cancer Fund: “I helped organize the first-ever Zumbathon for the McPherson College Student Activities Board with money raised going to the local Giving Hope to Cancer Fund. I am a licensed Zumba instructor and I thought this would be a fun way to raise money for a great cause.”