First-time entrepreneurs from Durham College had the chance to make their first sales at the recent Valentine’s Market.
“We have vendors from all over, like food, different items, handcrafted products, different array of stuff, and we’re just excited to have them here,” said Sundar Manku, manager of the FastStart, the college’s entrepreneurial hub.
He said there were 15-20 vendors that set up stalls.
While some of them were experienced vendors, Manku said some of them were selling their products for the first time.
Brianna Duff, social media ambassador at FastStart, said they came up with the idea in summer.
“We worked with a lot of [the entrepreneurs] before,” she add. “A lot of them are Fast Start clients and we have new alumni, faculty, and community members as well.”
The vendors offered a wide array of products such as cupcakes, artwork, keychains, crochet accessories and more.
Rachel Domonsky, a 20-year-old first year biotechnology student, is the founder of Devira Core, which makes ‘cottagecore’-themed accessories that celebrate simple country living.
Domonsky said the college “helped her a bunch.”
“Expectation wise, I’ve sold a lot more of my smaller keychains,” she said. “I was hoping that I could have sold more, but it is what it is and I’m happy meeting a bunch of other students and seeing them happy with their purchases.”
Kirushalthi Jeyashanthan, a first year culinary management student from the Whitby campus, set up a stall with her friend from the same course, Deja Greaves Schillemore.
Their ‘Magic Cake Shop’ had a variety of cupcakes, cakes, cookies and brownies on display.
“We got a very good response and it was a good day for us,” said Jeyashanthan.