Our Impact

As he approached the final stages of planning his product launch, Churmell Mitchell made a strategic decision. He joined the Lowder Center’s FastTrac Bootcamp to evaluate the fundamentals of his business before going to market. His game, Emotions You Know™, is a social-emotional learning tool designed to help players explore real emotions through storytelling and structured prompts. During the bootcamp, Churmell launched pre-sales and sold more than 200 games in four days. “The FastTrac bootcamp helped me take a step back and focus,” said Churmell. “As a visual learner, the templates made it easier to refine my message and better understand my audience. It gave me the structure I needed.” FastTrac is an eight-week virtual bootcamp hosted by the Lowder Center for Family Business and Entrepreneurship that just concluded. The program is based on curriculum from the Kauffman Foundation, and it helps entrepreneurs validate their business models, clarify their goals, and move forward with greater confidence. For Churmell, the timing provided space to adjust his launch plan and strengthen his approach. “I would take the course again,” he added. “Anyone thinking about a business should do it.” Churmell’s story highlights the Lowder Center’s mission to equip entrepreneurs with the tools and support they need to succeed at every stage of the journey. Check out Emotions You Know™ at emotionsyouknow.com and sign up for the Lowder Center email list at EnergizeAL.com/ to hear about next Summer’s bootcamp options.

The Lowder Center continues to support entrepreneurs with strong ideas and real-world experience who need structure to build sustainable businesses. This summer, we’re bringing back Jumpstart and also launching the new Kauffman FastTrac Bootcamp, a statewide option for entrepreneurs across Alabama. Jumpstart, now in its third year, is a 6-week program helping founders clarify their ideas or stabilize growing ventures. Stinson Breads joined with a loyal following and a goal to open a storefront. They had momentum but needed a plan. With guidance from Jumpstart, they launched a bakery in downtown Opelika. Their story was recently featured in AL.com, which highlighted how a home kitchen, a clear plan, and a lot of sourdough led to one of Alabama’s most talked-about new bakeries. Mark Coxwell from Butcher Paper BBQ had already opened a restaurant, but expanded too quickly and nearly lost the business. Jumpstart helped him pause, reassess, and rebuild with focus. He has been willing to share these experiences with current program participants and proudly proclaims himself a Jumpstart graduate. To serve more entrepreneurs, the Lowder Center launched the Kauffman FastTrac Bootcamp in partnership with the Alabama Collective . The program runs for 8 weeks and the online format makes it accessible statewide. Over 50 participants have enrolled, greatly exceeding launch expectations. Learn more about these bootcamps or watch this short video to hear how the Jumpstart bootcamp is making a difference. Although both programs are closed for this year, we hope you’ll join us next Summer!

Brodin Grady started his entrepreneurial journey with just $10 as part of a Micro Startup assignment in the ENFB 3140 course. Over the course of seven weeks, he turned that small investment into $800, which became the foundation for Brodin’s Betterment, a landscaping and home services business focused on providing high-quality work at affordable prices. Now, Brodin is taking his business to the next level. He’s officially formed an LLC and has big plans to grow his company. In the Fall, he’ll be taking the ENFB 4920 internship class to continue building his business, working toward making Brodin’s Betterment his full-time focus after graduation. Along the way, Brodin has worked with the Startup Studio to get a custom logo and is excited to build a website soon. The support from the Studio has helped him take his business up a notch and move closer to his goals. From turning $10 into a growing business, Brodin’s story is a perfect example of what happens when passion meets opportunity. We’re excited to see what comes next for Brodin and wish him the best as he continues to grow Brodin’s Betterment.

Over the course of just 54 hours, participants at Business Builders Bash turned bold ideas into working demos, real prototypes, and one fully functional MVP app, all from scratch. The event brought together aspiring entrepreneurs from across the Auburn community for a weekend of rapid innovation, collaboration, and startup building. By the time teams took the stage for final pitches, they had transformed initial ideas into fledgling startup businesses. Among the weekend’s many strong entries, thre e ventures stood out for their clarity, creativity, and execution: EisenBlox (1st place) is a productivity planning app designed to help users manage mental load and organize tasks more effectively. It combines organizational strategies like brain dumping, the Eisenhower Matrix, and Pomodoro sessions. Users speak their thoughts into the app, review AI-generated to-do lists, and categorize each task as ‘Do’, 'Deadline’, ‘Delegate’, or ‘Delete’. The team developed a working MVP app during the weekend, with future plans to integrate calendar and email functionality. MarkIt (2nd place) is a startup developing a gamified feedback app that helps small businesses conduct affordable, real-time market research. Consumers swipe through business concepts using a dating app-style interface and provide instant feedback. Small businesses gain insights to validate ideas, refine messaging, and test demand without relying on traditional research methods. MarkIt helps early-stage entrepreneurs make informed decisions while giving consumers a simple and rewarding way to engage with new ideas. Peas in a Pod (3rd place) is a property planning venture that helps landowners turn unused land into short-term rental income. The company addresses common challenges faced by first-time hosts, including a lack of income-generating ideas, limited construction experience, and concerns about upfront costs. Peas in a Pod offers customizable or pre-designed lodging units, a streamlined design-build approach, and flexible financing options. By making the process accessible and manageable, the venture helps clients unlock the earning potential of their property through unique, experience-driven properties designed to attract travelers seeking something out of the ordinary. Overall 24 individuals participated including community members and students ranging from freshman to graduate students representing varied programs from interior design to horticulture. Of the 6 teams that were formed, over 80% expressed interest in continuing their ventures beyond the weekend. This illustrates that the Bash is a broadly inclusive program that can serve as the beginning of a longer entrepreneurial journey.