Drekker Brewing Company was packed with Cobbers, both alumni and current students, on April 10. While mingling over coffee and tea, the anticipation and energy were high. People were drifting from group to group, making conversation and sharing their excitement. The crowd was loud enough that it took a minute to quiet everyone down for the speakers.
“I came here just for this, a place full of smart, creative, thoughtful people. A college working close with the community to solve problems,” Concordia College President Colin Irvine said as he opened the event.
It was the second annual Cobber takeover at StartupBREW Fargo, a weekly meetup for entrepreneurs, creatives, and community members to connect and explore the entrepreneurial journey hosted by Emerging Prairie.
There was good reason for the excitement. Concordia's Entrepreneurship Club president, Kevin Ness '24, and Student Government Association president, Jesus Gonzalez '25, unveiled the Cobbertunity Fund to the crowd. Starting in Fall 2024, students can apply for grants, up to $3,000, to help launch their startups or support their early stage companies.
"Cobbers don't wait for opportunities. They create them," Ness said.
Hallie Thompson ’25 and Frederick Robin ’24 are two Cobbers who manage to run small businesses while being full-time students.
Thompson founded Wholesome Hal’s, a healthy food truck, at 16 and is in her sixth year selling food. Her second year overlapped with COVID-19 and that summer she contemplated giving up because her parents were her only customers.
However, Thompson had a couple of pieces of advice to give to aspiring entrepreneurs.
“First, ask for help when you need it and be willing to accept it. I wouldn’t have been able to accomplish this without my family. Second, bet on yourself,” Thompson said.
Robin co-founded Studio FSR, a sensitive soap company that expanded into more body care products, with his mother.
Robin remembered that as a struggle when starting Studio FSR. As he and his mother focused on combining art with scent, Robin came to see that their style of functional art makes them stand out from the competition.
His advice to future entrepreneurs was, “Try your best to understand your place in the grand scheme of things as early as possible. By understanding your place, you can better understand what you can bring that is different from everyone else.”
This event was co-hosted by Concordia's Entrepreneurship Club, Career Readiness Board, and Women in Business Club, through the Offutt School of Business. Entertainment was provided by the Women in Business Club vice president, Ava Hanson ’25, who played two original songs.
