Leading business ventures as a student

Corey Marsden of Manilla, Ind., was involved with three start-up businesses during his four years at Purdue. After taking an entrepreneurship course as a sophomore, he realized his strengths were better suited to a major in organizational leadership and supervision (OLS) instead of engineering. During the remainder of his time at Purdue, Marsden was energized by OLS courses that helped him turn business ideas into opportunities. He and a friend launched a branch of Guys and Dollies in West Lafayette, catering to international and out-of-state students who needed to move and store items during summer breaks. “Many people say don’t do business with friends, but I have experienced the opposite,” he said. “My ventures with friends are built on trust, and our friendships have grown stronger.” Marsden was also a business partner with ELLO, a company that was developing a web site portal for restaurants that focused on high quality videos. Many students in the OLS program find that their major fits well with a Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation.