Saturday, November 27 is Small Business Saturday — a response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday — when shoppers are encouraged to patronize the small businesses in their local communities.
In recognition of this day, we choose to celebrate and highlight some of the many small businesses that are part of our Consortium community, those created and owned by Consortium MBAs. These founders and owners work hard to balance not just the daily grind of managing a small business but also the coursework, internships and extracurricular activities that make up MBA life.
This Small Business Saturday, we encourage you to consider supporting the student-owned and -run businesses listed below, which include CPG companies, nonprofits, service-based businesses and more. (And stay tuned for the release of The Consortium’s Alumni Business Directory — coming in early 2022!)
Àjọṣe — the Yoruba word for “partnership” — is a newly launched social impact apparel line designed to celebrate African heritage and bring visibility to those working to address social issues impacting Africa and the diaspora. The company partners with nonprofit organizations aligned with its mission, and a portion of sales from each design benefit a nonprofit partner dedicated to elevating Africa.
Founder/Owner: Adeyoola or “Yoola” Adeniji, Yale School of Management, class of 2023
Utter is a Twitter trivia guessing game that pulls viral moments online and brings them into the real world. Utter will have you reliving the funniest moments on Twitter with your friends in person or abroad.
Founder/Owner: Justin Matthews, Washington University in St. Louis Olin Business School, class of 2023
Pillow & Planter is a home decor company focused on making interior design accessible. From art textiles to plant care accessories, Pillow & Planter provides everything you need to turn your home into a beautiful sanctuary where you can thrive.
Founder/Owner: Aliyah Lee, UCLA Anderson School of Management, class of 2023
Whether you’re looking for a sari for an elegant event or an evening with aunties, Simple Saris has you covered with over 40 sophisticated pieces that are delivered directly to you. Simple Saris is an easy and affordable way to rent beautiful saris for South Asian events.
Founder/Owner: Natasha Dickey, University of Virginia Darden School of Business, class of 2022
Beast River Fitness is a more than 250-member, 2,500-square-foot CrossFit gym in Manhattan’s East Village.
Founder/Owner: Eric J. Leon, Cornell University Johnson Graduate School of Management, class of 2023
Muslim Wedding Service is a wedding officiant social enterprise offering thoughtful, charismatic and well-spoken officiants who conduct culturally inclusive and spiritually uplifting wedding ceremonies.
Founder/Owner: Afraz Khan, University of California, Berkeley Haas School of Business, class of 2023
DecoKraft Limited specializes in the production of premium chocolates made from Ghana’s rich cocoa beans (and no cocoa substitutes), which are processed into chocolate bars, filled chocolates and three-dimensional chocolate. DecoKraft’s chocolate brand is KABI, which means “to take a bite” in Twi, a Ghanaian language.
Founder/Owner: Akua Donkor, Indiana University Kelley School of Business, class of 2023
Start-up and admissions consulting company JMK & Co. offers consulting services for students interested in graduate school admissions and to founders and start-ups looking for insights to secure VC dollars.
Founder/Owner: Joseph M. Kemp, University of Michigan Law School & Ross School of Business, class of 2022
Wish for WASH
A social impact organization, Wish for WASH is focused on addressing the lack of access to safely managed sanitation, which disproportionately hinders the livelihoods of women, girls and other marginalized groups globally. The organization’s mission is to amplify more diverse voices and inclusive innovations in the water, sanitation and hygiene and global health sectors through the lens of research, design and education.
Founder/CEO/Executive Director: Jasmine Burton, Emory University Goizueta Business School, class of 2023
Wanderlust Game Co.
Wanderlust Game Co. creates board and table games for the travel obsessed. The company’s first product, Wanderlust Table, is a conversation card game and community all about connection, awareness, inspiration and thinking deeper about travel.
Founder/Owner: Brittany Floyd, University of Rochester Simon Business School, class of 2022
Tylmen is a fashion app that serves as a virtual mall and is designed to help you shop confidently for apparel online. Sign up by making a sizing profile through a self-recorded video, which extracts your full-body measurements — data that Tylmen then uses to find your perfect size online, allowing you to shop endlessly and hassle-free.
Founder/Owner: Lloyd Yates, Washington University in Saint Louis Olin Business School, class of 2022
Comme Homme
Comme Homme is a tech-enabled direct-to-consumer men’s personal care and lifestyle brand serving the more than 50 million men in America who are either bald or dealing with hair loss. Comme Homme’s mission is simple: to help men everywhere embrace their natural evolution. It does so by leveraging digital community, augmented reality technology and premium scalp care products to inject confidence into the hair loss journey. The company’s scalp care products for bald men are available for pre-order now.
Co-founder/COO: Mejoy Lawson, University of Michigan Ross School of Business, class of 2022
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