By Nathaniel Luce
Two second-year MBA entrepreneurs have earned a new grant designed to support Vanderbilt students who are building businesses outside of the venture capital sphere.
Taneisha Gordon, the founder of Sukhino Designs, and Joe Curnow, co-founder of 27 West, each earned $5,000.
“My goal of creating this was to create access to capital for what we call lifestyle entrepreneurs, although I’m not a fan of that term,” said Michael Bryant, Director of the Center for Entrepreneurship.
“Lifestyle businesses” are traditionally defined as those created to sustain a particular level of income for founders and/or owners, which can create the false impression that their proprietors aren’t interested in growth. It would be more diplomatic to define these ventures by the extent of scale they can achieve. Startups seeking venture financing demand high scalability. Lifestyle businesses, by virtue of their business model or product offerings, have growth limitations that preclude them from venture-level investment. That doesn’t mean they can’t generate handsome profits; successful lifestyle businesses can generate millions in revenue.
With the Sohr Grant already attracting startups with highly scalable models, the Center for Entrepreneurship created the Main Street Grants to fund entrepreneurs building businesses more commonly associated with the lifestyle category.
“I want every legitimate business that comes out of Owen to have received some sort of support from us,” said Bryant. “Sukhino Designs and 27 West deserve our support.”
Taneisha Gordon displays a Sukhino Designs notebook
Sukhino Designs offers a variety of laser-cut goods. Gordon launched the business last year, and after navigating several challenges along the way, she considers the grant “the jump I needed to take my business to the next level.” She’ll be using a portion of the funds to secure commercial space for her operation, an ongoing challenge for her business. The grant money will also go toward investments in equipment to increase capacity and streamline the production process.
“It feels great and somewhat unbelievable to receive money to fund my joy and happiness, my business,” she said.
27 West is a women’s boutique clothing store that caters to the military. The company gives back to the military community through spouse employment opportunities, local consignment options, and non-profit donations.
Curnow defines 27 West’s mission as two-fold: to provide quality clothing at affordable prices with excellent customer service and to provide employment opportunities for military spouses. He’ll be using the grant money to expand the company’s brand recognition and reach through pop-up shop events, including several local stops at the Nashville Flea Market in April and the Tour De Nash in May.
“I am excited and grateful to receive the Main Street Grant,” says Curnow. “The Owen Center for Entrepreneurship has provided excellent resources through one-on-one meetings and the FireStarter Pitch sessions to help me develop and refine my business plan.”
To learn more about entrepreneurship opportunities at Vanderbilt Business, visit the Center for Entrepreneurship website.
