ODU’s New Student Retail Store, THE Monarch Way, Opens Nov. 2
October 30, 2017
Customers shopping at THE Monarch Way store.
Old Dominion University will celebrate the opening of its new student retail store, THE Monarch Way on Thursday, Nov. 2.
The event is open to the public and will be held from noon to 1p.m. outside the store's location at 4306 Monarch Way.
THE Monarch Way provides students, alumni, faculty and staff entrepreneurs the opportunity to gain selling experience in a retail environment. The store, which will host more than 15 vendors, is intended to be a learning lab for young entrepreneurs to get first-hand experience in pricing, merchandising and scheduling while offering their products to the Hampton Roads community. Featured products include artwork, candles, children's books, clothing, cupcakes, duffle bags, fidget spinners, fire starter kits, greeting cards, gourmet bacon treats, hats, jewelry and purses.
Old Dominion's former COO David Harnage is the brainchild behind the store's existence. He came up with the idea to give the University's entrepreneurs a brick and mortar alternative to selling their wares solely online.
The event will include remarks from President John R. Broderick, Nancy Grden, executive director of the Strome Entrepreneurial Center; Aaron Washington, president of Enactus ODU; Maurice Brooks, student entrepreneur and founder of SHWIM Clothing, LLC; Connie Merriman, associate dean of the Strome College of Business; and Sam Walton, fellow and faculty advisor of Enactus ODU.
The following is a list of THE Monarch Way store's vendors by category:
Food
- Fully Belly Delights, LLC by Janay Brown
- MonkeyCakez Cupcakery, LLC by Zahyria Temple
- Sweat and Swag Fitness, LLC by Kaylenne Brown
Clothing/Accessories
- SHWIM Clothing, LLC by Maurice Brooks
- GradWYSE by Huizhi Zhu
- Hamilton Perkins Collection by Hamilton Perkins
- 2 Pink Peas by Sophia O'Neal
- Sky Welkin by Derek Simon and Zeke Kenebrow
- Dusa America by Darien Grant
- NOISIA by Anika Williams
- Starfish Textiles by Aydin Oksoy
- Design by Genevieve by Genevieve Conwell
Supplies/Gadgets
- Pull Start Fire by Mike Beyrodt
- 3DXtremes by Blade Taylor
- Deep Space Devine Finds by Glenn Marcus Bazemore
- WaxMagic by Koby Lomax
Photography
- APEX Design Art, LLC by Robert A. Lamb
- Shara Weber by Shara Weber
- Elizabeth Jude by Elizabeth Jude