The amount of student activity at Elon is rather extensive. From campus clubs and programs to entrepreneurial endeavors, students keep very busy with their extracurricular activities. However, there doesn’t seem to be an event that showcases all the hard work and endless creativity that Elon students weigh into these start-up ventures.
This is where Elon senior, Taylor Berghane, comes in. Co-founder of Graham Stetter and Urban Compass campus representative, Taylor sought out a way have startups come together on a single night. “I got the idea to do a Startup Expo because I recently became an ambassador for a NYC startup called Urban Compass. Being an ambassador, we are required to put on an event during the semester to promote the company. Instead of doing something small and boring like a presentation in Moseley, I wanted to use my entrepreneurial experience to create an event that could promote many of the startups I have been seeing and hearing about around Elon.”
The expo will be held on Friday, April 11 at the Elon University-owned College Street Taphouse located just off Elon’s campus at 131 W College Avenue. It will feature prominent startup companies that have ties to the university, such as BANGS Shoes, Cosmopolitan Magazine, Her Campus Elon Magazine, Hudson Bailey, Give’r, Graham Stetter, Serengetee and Urban Compass.
“Creating an event like a Startup Expo that could be around for years to come felt like an awesome idea to me. I also thought this would be a great opportunity to form a strategic partnership to promote not only my own company, Graham Stetter, but others with ambassadors at Elon. I want to promote entrepreneurship at Elon as much as possible and this is the perfect way to do that,” Taylor says.
Taylor has surely been an inspiration to Elon students, along with his Graham Stetter co-founder, Logan Williams. The pair will be welcoming their first shipment of Graham Stetter needlepoint products very soon and you can expect to see them for sale on their site in the upcoming weeks.
Taylor explains that the event will include a large raffle with giveaways from all of the companies. The largest prize will be a full move in and interior design for a graduating senior who will be moving to NYC, courtesy of Urban Compass. Taylor is still waiting on approval from the NYC company but anticipates this as a prize option.
“This is an incredible opportunity to cross promote your company and gain valuable exposure to the prominent Elon community.” If any companies are interested in joining the event, email Taylor at tberghane@elon.edu.
Come out to Taphouse from 2-6pm on Friday April 11 for some food, entertainment and raffle prizes!