KU Business programs propel sophomore’s venture ambitions
Gavin Ayoade grows community and company with help from Impact Programs and The Catalyst
Gavin Ayoade, a sophomore marketing major from Olathe, Kansas, is learning how to balance life as a college student while growing his clothing business.
Despite being close to home, the University of Kansas wasn’t originally on Ayoade’s radar until he found out about the Summer Venture in Business (SVB) hosted at the School of Business and decided to apply.
The pre-college summer academy hosted at Capitol Federal Hall that aims to familiarize high school students with the field of business did just that for Ayoade in the summer of 2023.
“Being there [at SVB], I realized how friendly the people were and how much they cared about me and wanted to see me prosper, so I feel like that’s one of the main reasons I chose KU,” Ayoade said.
As an entrepreneur, Ayoade knew he wanted to focus on his personal business throughout college and after graduation, so he decided on marketing as a major.
“You could have a really amazing product without marketing, and no one will know about it, but if you have a worse product with good marketing, people will find ways to buy and know your product,” Ayoade said.
He wasn’t sure what to expect when coming to college but immediately felt a shift in his workload and the discipline he had to have as a student and entrepreneur when starting his freshman year.
Something he says helped him find his role in college throughout this navigation period was the Mentored Scholars Program in Business (MSP-B).
“Someone I met at Summer Venture in Business ended up connecting me with MSP-B,” Ayoade said. “I think that MSP-B has just helped me make connections overall. Outside of even staff and teachers, I’ve made connections with friends that support me and my business, so I felt like it just gave me a platform to meet people and go out and do things that help you.”
Ayoade also learned about The Catalyst, a co-curricular entrepreneurship program in which students can develop themselves and their unique ventures with the help of mentors and peers in a constructive and productive environment. Fall 2024 was his first semester in the program, and he says it has already brought his business to the next level.
“At first, I didn’t know if The Catalyst would help me at all, but I decided just to go for it, so I did, and it’s been so helpful,” Ayoade said. “I feel like it really helps you get the idea out of your head and put it on paper to format your plan in a way that will benefit you.”
Although he has been growing his clothing business through college, he started Blinded Clothing, a lifelong dream, during his senior year of high school.
“I was talking to my mom one day, and she said she always wished she could start her own business, but she felt like it was too late,” Ayoade said. “I was 18, and I was like ‘you know what? I don’t have anything stopping me right now.’ So, I just decided to go for it.”
Ayoade’s goal was to give people affordable, good-quality clothing with cool designs, but he always had people doubting him and saying his plan wouldn’t work, which is where the name for his business came from.
“I chose Blinded because I feel like people were trying to blind me from my dreams,” Ayoade said. “The scratch mark in the logo is a symbol of people trying to tear you down, but the word ‘Blinded’ is bigger than the mark, because you are bigger than the people trying to tear you down.”
In the past two years of his business, Ayoade has seen his sales and Instagram follower count continue to grow. His original design is now sold in six colors, and his Instagram account has more than 6,000 followers. Blinded Clothing sells a range of items, from T-shirts to hoodies and zip-ups, and Ayoade says he sees people from 10 to 50 years old enjoying his clothing.
Blinded is more than just a business for Ayoade; it is something that empowers people to reach their dreams, which has been his favorite part about the experience.
“I’ve been getting a lot of messages from people saying that they see what I’m doing and that it’s inspiring them, along with words of encouragement, which has helped me,” Ayoade said. “It’s been awesome seeing my clothing have a positive impact on other people.”
Ayoade is still running the business solo but says his advice for other students and young entrepreneurs is that it’s okay to take help from people when you need it.
“Now that I’ve been more open to getting help, I’ve gotten so many positive things from it,” Ayoade said. “You also have to realize that not everyone is going to see your idea the way you do; so always make sure that you prioritize your goal and do not let outside sources ruin it.”
He says that the connections made through college have helped him learn this lesson, with the help of School of Business faculty. Ayoade mentioned the School of Business’ Impact Programs staff members specifically when discussing who has supported him in the past year.
The school’s Impact Programs work to support and amplify students’ access to a business degree through programming and academic support for both current and prospective students. Ayoade said that Morgan States, program coordinator, Shu Tosaka, program director, and Jennifer Robinson, student program coordinator, are some of the notable figures who have shaped his School of Business experience thus far.
“Morgan, Jennifer and Shu have all been super helpful in my business and have been making sure that I’m okay as well,” Ayoade said. “A lot of people get burnt out having a business and doing school, but they’ve done a great job making sure that I am personally okay too.”
Ayoade says time management is key to balancing owning a business with completing his schoolwork.
“I feel like my time management is like the thing that I need to focus on the most,” Ayoade said. “For me, in a way, school is the priority. So, I try to get all my homework out the way at the start of the week. Then, after I have some free time, I will focus on Blinded and just sit down and work on business-related things”
After graduation, Ayoade’s plan is to put his full energy into Blinded and eventually own multiple businesses. He says that the skills he’s learned at the School of Business have prepared him for a variety of fields.
“I’ve learned so much about running a business, whether it’s how to promote it or conduct customer service, and all of this has prepared me to eventually own other businesses, like restaurants,” Ayoade said. “I’m ultimately excited to see where life goes, but I would love to continue Blinded as much as I can when I have the time to put my full self into it.”
Learn about KU School of Business Impact Programs at business.ku.edu/impact-programs. Find information about the school’s entrepreneurship programs at business.ku.edu/entr.
By Lauryn Zebrowski
