Twenty-two AACC student entrepreneurs showcased their businesses at the Entrepreneurial Studies Institute’s trade show on Thursday.

According to Stephanie Goldenberg, the ESI’s academic chair, the HawkTrade event is a semi-annual student trade show meant to provide students with a “low risk, supportive environment” to sell their business products.

“I’m really excited about the energy of our student vendors,” Goldenberg said. 

This is the 10th HawkTrade show since it began in the fall of 2019, according to Goldenberg. At this semester’s event, Goldenberg announced the top 10 finalists of the Big Idea competition. 

The finalists were Leah Campbell, Katelynn Culmore. Thabatha Jarkin, Gavin Kesselring, Serena Metz. April Mills, Katherine Michelle Paunlagui, Nicholas Shrout, Mandee Tejada and Stanley Williams.

Carter DeSilva, a second-year communications student who runs the business “Frog Store,” a hand-sewing student-run store, said the event was a “great opportunity.”

“It’s been kind of a struggle as a full-time college student” to promote my business, DeSilva said. “I really wanted to do this event to make money and put my business out there.”

DeSilva said students love her hand-made frog plushies.

“Everyone said [the frog plushies] were so cute,” DeSilva said. “Even my parents were like, ‘You could sell these for a hefty profit.’”

Charlie Barber, a second-year computer science student who started the business “Koopa Mods,” a video game service centered around using homebrew to mod Nintendo 3DS, Nintendo Wii and Nintendo WiiU games, said this year’s HawkTrade is the first time he physically advertised his business after having made “$500-$600” online from it. 

“I’ve always loved, like, modding consoles,” Barber said. “Since I’m so good at it, I decided to mod it for other people [because] I mostly market towards people who don’t fully understand modding.”

Triss MacNaughton, a second-year psychology student who volunteered to help the “Koopa Mods” business this year, said it’s a “great idea” that has “potential.”

Fiona Panzer, a first-year dual-enrolled student, said she came to the event to promote her brother, Lucas Panzer-Valdivia, who showcased his business “Amanecer Tours,” a tourism-centered service for Costa Rica.

I’m “having a good time,” Panzer said.

Milo Starling, a fourth-year theater student, said the event is “just a really fun way to get the community together.”

“I just love being able to support,” Starling said. 

Features Editor Waleska Cruz contributed to this story