July 18, 2017
By Zac Ellis
VUCommodores.com
NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Sean Auwae-McMoore knows just how stressful the life of a college student can be. As an offensive lineman on the Vanderbilt football team, Auwae-McMoore must balance academics and athletics on a regular basis as a Commodore student-athlete.
That experience helped Auwae-McMoore concoct a unique business idea: “Campus Relaxation,” a mobile massage service that brings stress-relief straight to college students.
“I was thinking back to Mark Zuckerberg with Facebook, something simple but effective on college campuses,” Auwae-McMoore said. “A lot of kids are stressed daily with work, even student-athletes, so maybe massages are something that could be effective as a stress-reliever.”
Auwae-McMoore devised his concept as a part of Vanderbilt’s Pre-Flight program, an entrepreneurial experience for students at the university. It is hosted by The Wond’ry, a unique space within the Engineering and Science Building that bills itself as “the primary point of connection for students interested in innovation and entrepreneurship.”
This summer, Auwae-McMoore joined nine other rising sophomore student-athletes in presenting business ideas at a pitch workshop at The Wond’ry. A four-person panel comprised of two marketing professionals and two former Pre-Flight participants vetted the group’s presentations. That same week, the student-athletes delivered their final pitches at the program’s culmination.
Though Vanderbilt had previously offered the program to students, this marked the first time student-athletes had experienced Pre-Flight.
“Much like how you’d go to the gym to flex your physical muscles, you come in here to really flex your entrepreneurial muscles or creative-thinking muscles,” said Robert Grajewski, Executive Director at The Wond’ry.
“Our student-athletes enjoy a unique opportunity with Vanderbilt’s Pre-Flight program, which cultivates an entrepreneurial spirit within these young people,” said David Williams, vice chancellor for athletics and university affairs and athletics director at Vanderbilt. “Pre-Flight allows our student-athletes to tap into their creative potential and even open their minds to possible internship and career opportunities. This program is just another example of the all-around student-athlete experience at Vanderbilt.”
Like Auwae-McMoore, Sophie Halper came up with her own unique business venture. The sophomore swimmer teamed with basketball player Peyton Willis and football player Jamauri Wakefield to present “Monkeying Around,” an aerial arts studio billed as an alternative to conventional gyms. The concept would introduce trapeze-style workouts to the Nashville market.
Halper’s inspiration came from her personal background. She grew up enjoying similar aerial arts as a child in New York, and she later worked at a studio in high school. Halper said the Pre-Flight program reminded her of the ABC show “Shark Tank,” as it tasked student-athletes with assessing the viability of their pitch from top to bottom.
“It opens a door to something new that I hadn’t done before,” Halper said. “I had never been exposed to anything about entrepreneurship or business management. This is just a great experience, and I wouldn’t have been exposed to it before this program.”
Added Auwae-McMoore: “This is a great thing for student-athletes, especially because a lot of us with aspirations after sports might be getting into the business field. This has definitely helped me personally because my startup is something I’ve actually thought of. Having this class pushes me closer to making it a reality.”
Vanderbilt hopes to turn the Pre-Flight program into a prerequisite for the athletic department’s expansive internship program, which places student-athletes with Nashville-area employers during the summer. Pre-Flight would be yet another element to the total student-athlete experience at Vanderbilt.
“Not only are you determining if your idea is turning into an enterprise or company, but this gets you out in the community,” Grajewski. “You have to validate customers, get feedback, understand and analyze who your competitors may be. Through that networking and collaboration, that opens up opportunities for other experience.”
Zac Ellis is the Writer and Digital Media Editor for Vanderbilt Athletics. Check out his story archive and follow him on Twitter here.
