Five Davidson College alumni. Five distinct ideas. One shared launchpad. Student to Founder: Entrepreneurial Excellence at Davidson College tells the stories of Andrew Ashur ’19, Thomas Athey ’24, Owen Bezick ’21, Carson Crochet ’22, and Lilian (Lily) Korir ’23, all Nisbet Venture Fund winners who turned ambitious concepts into realities. Driven by problem-solving and purpose, these entrepreneurs were able to create their respective startups with a clear vision, backed by guidance and funding. Each individual’s path tells an inspiring story, from Andrew building robots to make dangerous jobs safer with Lucid Bots, to Carson creating care packages with comforting plushies for cancer patients through CA’Buddy, and to Lily working to uplift small-scale farmers in Kenya with Mulik Dairy Solutions. Owen filled a gap he spotted while consulting at the Hurt Hub and built GatherWare into a platform that now serves some of the largest healthcare systems in the country, and Thomas channeled his passion for music into MESA, a software platform helping independent artists manage the business side of their crafts. For each of them, the Nisbet Venture Fund provided more than just funding. It offered them mentorship and the foundation to turn an idea into a real company. Doors were opened, and career paths were changed, all because these students decided to give their ventures a shot. Filmed and produced by Pablo Quintero ’28, this documentary captures some of the journeys that the Hurt Hub supports. We hope that watching it inspires you to dive deeper into the possibilities.
About the Nisbet Venture Fund:
The Nisbet Venture Fund is an annual business development program and pitch competition presented by the Hurt Hub at Davidson College. Established in 2014 through the generous support from Marian Nisbet and Chip Nisbet ’86, the program provides Davidson students and recent alumni the opportunity to compete for funding for their innovative, for-profit ventures. Finalists receive coaching and mentorship from seasoned entrepreneurs and business professionals before pitching to a panel of investors!
