{"id":16113,"date":"2023-05-10T10:40:37","date_gmt":"2023-05-10T15:40:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pvfa.tamu.edu\/?p=16113"},"modified":"2023-06-23T16:44:20","modified_gmt":"2023-06-23T21:44:20","slug":"aggies-become-business-owners-as-part-of-visualization-capstone-course","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/pvfa.tamu.edu\/news\/2023\/05\/10\/aggies-become-business-owners-as-part-of-visualization-capstone-course\/","title":{"rendered":"Aggies Become Business Owners As Part Of Visualization Capstone Course"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For the hardworking students in Texas A&M University\u2019s visualization program, the opportunities are nearly limitless. Nobody knows that better than Kaitlyn Derheim and Anna Keller, who will graduate this week having already launched their own businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two Aggie entrepreneurs brought their ideas to life as part of the visualization senior capstone course, a relatively recent addition to the program in which students pour everything they\u2019ve learned into one thoroughly planned and researched final project. Capstone instructor Barbara Klein \u2014 an instructional associate professor at A&M\u2019s School of Performance, Visualization and Fine Arts<\/a> \u2014 says these projects are as varied as the students who produce them, as each brings a unique skill set and perspective into the course.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
Kaitlyn Derheim\u2019s twelfth and co.<\/a> boutique sells stylish and affordable clothes with an Aggie-inspired flair. Photo by Kara Casper. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe product can be anything from a 3D rendering to website development. It\u2019s all over the board,\u201d Klein said. \u201cEach student is doing a capstone that will propel their personal growth or give them a great piece for their demo reel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the 70-plus projects produced by students in this year\u2019s capstone course, standouts include detailed digital illustrations, game design tools and 3D modeling work \u2014 all of which helped prepare their creators for a bright future in their chosen fields.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Derheim and Keller decided to explore a slightly different path, blazing a new trail for Viz students interested in entrepreneurship. Both used their graphic design and marketing skills to build their own e-commerce stores from the ground up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Today, Derheim\u2019s twelfth and co.<\/a> boutique sells stylish and affordable clothes with an Aggie-inspired flair: \u201cI\u2019ve wanted to do this for about six years,\u201d she explained. \u201cI went to Barbara our junior year and she said, \u2018I think it would be great.\u2019 It\u2019s targeted toward Aggie fans, but really I wanted to make somewhere where anyone and everyone can shop.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meanwhile, Keller sells prints of her own original artwork at Shop Keller Designs<\/a>: \u201cI started out selling my art on Instagram and Etsy, and then this semester gave me the time and the resources to actually put a lot of focus on it and turn it into a real company,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to Klein, this is the first time the capstone course was used to launch a fully fledged business venture. She says art entrepreneurism is growing thanks to a shift in business toward consumer sales.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe capstone course allows students personal growth and experimentation, which has propelled these businesses to develop,\u201d Klein said. \u201cWhile the capstone course does not \u2018require\u2019 the business to be legitimized, the students felt they had enough knowledge and support to proceed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbout a third of the way through their projects, Anna and Kaitlyn said, \u2018We\u2019re going to make this real,\u2019\u201d she said. \u201cI believe they are the first of many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klein quickly connected them with other A&M faculty members, including Mays Business School professor Dr. Bridgette Chambers. These mentors helped guide the students as they crafted their business plans and filed all the appropriate paperwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe\u2019re not business majors, so we kind of had to learn things as we went,\u201d Derheim said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Anna
Anna Keller sells prints of her own original artwork at Shop Keller Designs<\/a>. Photo by Peri Shaink.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat\u2019s sort of a threshold you cross,\u201d Keller said. \u201cYou have to take a really big step from having the idea to actually executing it.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With graduation approaching, Derheim and Keller are both looking for full-time jobs in the Dallas area. Eventually though, they plan to work for themselves. Both said they are thrilled to be leaving Texas A&M with a firm entrepreneurial foundation: \u201cI just really wanted to start laying the groundwork for that now,\u201d Keller said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As for Derheim, she won\u2019t be saying goodbye to Aggieland just yet \u2014 she plans to open twelfth and co.\u2019s first physical storefront in Bryan-College Station by 2025.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Klein said these initial forays into the business world represent a new and exciting direction for the visualization program. Next fall, she\u2019ll be teaching a new class on entrepreneurship specifically designed for creative students, helping the program\u2019s talented artists and designers explore new opportunities to profit from their work. She has spent years mentoring startups through the former Startup Aggieland and the new Design Spark Innovation Center. She hopes to bring some of that knowledge and enthusiasm directly to visualization and art students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor artists, the word entrepreneur is typically something we shy away from. But there are more and more people interested in monetizing their art,\u201d Klein said, noting that even freelancers need to know how to keep proper records and report their earnings. \u201cIf nothing else, I would really like to see at least 20 percent of our visualization students coming out of here with strong business understanding.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Derheim and Keller have already agreed to appear as guest speakers for the new class. Perhaps the most important piece of advice they hope to impart is that Viz students should never be afraid to try something new. As long as they\u2019re willing to put in the effort, they said, students can trust that their instructors and classmates will help give them the tools and encouragement they need to pursue whatever dreams they have.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTake a step out of the box because you can really do anything,\u201d Derheim said. \u201cDo something you haven\u2019t seen done before. They\u2019ll support you through everything.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Visualization Capstone Projects<\/h2>\n\n\n\n\n
\n\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t