Rollin’ n Bowlin’, a premium smoothie and açaí health food brand, has officially launched its mentorship and grant program titled, “Bowls n Goals” for college students with startup companies.
The program has been designed to accept nominations from students across the country and provide them with valuable and direct experience from Rollin’ n Bowlin’s co-founders to help grow and drive their businesses forward, the company said in a news release.
“Sophia and I started Rollin’ n Bowlin’ in the form of a food truck when we were entrepreneurial management students at Texas Christian University and while we may not have that truck anymore, we have expanded the brand to encompass storefront cafes, ecommerce and retail,” said co-founder Austin Patry. “Starting a business during college can be an immense challenge if you do not have the necessary resources and support, but I also think it’s the best time in your life to start a company. We’ve developed Bowls n Goals to assist in propelling the dreams of other students that were just like us – this is our way of paying it forward.”
The inaugural semester-long program lasting from August through November will offer the selected companies a $1,000 business grant, mentorship, networking and publicity opportunities. Participants will receive monthly calls from Rollin’ n Bowlin’s operations, marketing and ownership teams, participate in strategy sessions and will be connected to additional sources for entrepreneurship support and resources. Each semester a new cohort will be selected to participate in the program.
The first-ever participants are three students from Texas Christian University:
Madison Rust is the founder of Mello Swim and a sophomore student. Mello Swim is a sustainable swimwear apparel brand that Rust hopes will inspire others to express themselves and feel confident in their own skin. With her grant, Rust will begin to make additional swimsuit samples and increase her brand marketing efforts.
Instagram: @melloswim; TikTok: @melloswim
Cooper Neel is the founder of coopdeThé and a sophomore student from Philadelphia. coopdeThé is an organic fruit-based tea made with organic and fair-trade ingredients. The company plans to put a percentage of profits towards people with learning disabilities. Thus far, Neel has established formulas for four core flavors including Raspberry Rooibos, Sleepy Peach, Chocolate Mint Mate and Fruit Tiger. He plans on using the grant to procure initial supplies for the beverages, packaging and for marketing initiatives to set up taste tests.
Instagram: @coopdethe
Austin Foster is the founder of Runner’s and a senior student. Runner’s aims to become the go-to National beer of Texas beer – similar to how “National Bohemian Beer” is to his hometown of Baltimore, Maryland. Inspired by the state bird of Texas, the Roadrunner, Runner’s will encapsulate a Texas identity that appeals to the newer generation of Texans. Foster plans to use the grant to begin funding Runner’s and getting samples of his beer.
Instagram: @runnersbeer
“We are already so incredibly proud of our first class of Bowls n Goals entrepreneurs,” said co-founder Sophia Karbowski. “Each was chosen for their ability to clearly articulate the vision and mission for their companies and we cannot wait to help them in their unique entrepreneurial journeys. We will stand by them and hope to further build a community where company founders support one another.”
The Bowls n Goals application can be found on the Rollin’ n Bowlin’ website and will be accepting a new class of entrepreneurs prior to each semester. Rollin’ n Bowlin’s açaí bowl and smoothie pouches can be found at over 200 health food stores across the United States and customers can also find them at several college campus storefronts including Texas Christian University, Loyola University of Chicago, Tulane University and the University of Denver.