At its core, the entrepreneurial spirit is about possibility. The possibility of building something from nothing. The possibility of failing and losing it all. The possibility of leaving one’s mark on the world.
The Jerry S. Rawls College of Business at Texas Tech University has recently taken steps to foster and grow that spirit within its students.
In March, the college hosted its first ever Rawls Marketplace, featuring 14 student-run businesses selling everything from vintage clothing and golf apparel to coffee and flower arrangements. The event was hosted by the Alderson & Griffin Center for Family Business & Entrepreneurship (AGCFBE) in partnership with the Scovell Business Leadership Program (SBLP) and the newly founded Raider Entrepreneurship Club (REC).
“I remember as soon as I joined Rawls College, I asked Dean Margaret Williams if there was one thing she’d like me to do as part of my first action item at the center,” recalled Anish Quenim, who joined AGCFBE as associate director in October 2024. “She brought up the idea of the marketplace.”
A few short weeks later, Quenim partnered with students from REC and SBLP to get the marketplace up and running before spring break. He wanted to work with students who were invested in the idea of entrepreneurship or demonstrated strong leadership and initiative qualities.