November 6, 2009

Few stages in life are as ripe with learning and experimentation, curiosity and exploration, as one’s college years. College used to be viewed as the last rite of passage prior to entering the ‘real world’ -- the last stop before figuring out what you really wanted to do with your life before taking the plunge. But an increasing amount of enthusiastic college students are pairing their diploma earning efforts with entrepreneurial endeavors, resulting in lofty, passion fueled businesses with dorm room roots.

Boldness is a crucial element required for taking a leap of faith in true entrepreneurial spirit, and college students have a bit of an ‘ignorance is bliss’ advantage, having not yet endured the hard knocks of a dog eat dog business world. Choosing to place the thrill of the challenge and belief in their ideas slightly ahead of the dollar sign puts collegiate risk takers at the top of their game. Two such enterprisers are Katie Shea and Susie Levitt of Citisoles. They put their souls into developing a totable, functional, flat shoe alternative to pain inducing high heels, and a business was born in their dorm room on the NYU campus. During their senior year they found themselves “juggling classroom term papers and corporate term sheets...” and after enlist(ing) the opinions of friends, the help of NYU professors, and the time of many NYC professionals and mentors,” their product was launched nine months after its conception.

I actually launched my website Inhabitat.com - and along with it, my life as an entrepreneur - while I was an architecture student at Columbia University.  While you are a student you have the time to spend on research and development, not to mention the invaluable 'finger on the pulse' perspective that comes with being around a lot of other young people all the time.  I also believe that the low-budget life that most student lead prepares them to be resourceful and creative about getting by on a low budget - an invaluable tool in business. 

According to Christopher Hanks, director of the entrepreneurship program at the University of Georgia, "There is no better time [to start a business]. During a depression or recession, innovation always increases." College students with business venture aspirations should get a jumpstart on their goals so they may pair their degree with having walked in an entrepreneur's shoes on graduation day.

Join the conversation ( 2 )

• Haily Zaki 2 years 3 months and 1 days ago

  

  I don't think I was actually bitten by the entrepreneurial bug a bit later in life after I'd learned a bit more about what I didn't want to do. I respect students who know exactly what they do want to do from such a relatively young age and are driven and focused and enterprising enough to do so before they even graduate. It's amazing!

• PAUL ROSENFELD 2 years 3 months and 2 days ago

  

  Whenever I read about college entrepreneurs I couldn't be happier - I know first hand the transformative effect running a business while juggling a full-time degree can have. Being able to apply college learnings in real-time to your business dramatically increases retainability of the curriculum and the juggling multiple responsibilities creates a goal-oriented focus that other party-going college students would do wise to emulate.
  
  I will also say I wonder whether "an ever-increasing amount" of students are starting businesses. When I went to school in 1985-1989 there seemed like plenty of "dorm room" entrepreneurs. Maybe there are alot more today, I would probably assume that's true, but at some level that spirit has been there a long time too