By Matthew Cimitile, University Communications and Marketing
Some students leave college with a tight-knit circle of friends, others with impressive resumes full of research and internship experience.
Cherish and Unique Alston are walking away with all of that – plus thriving startups and tens of thousands of dollars in awards to fuel their entrepreneurial journeys. From shoe accessories to campus transportation, the sisters are turning their ideas into innovations that aim to leave a lasting impact.
Hailing from northern Virginia, the twin sisters chose USF St. Petersburg because of its affordability and prime location as an emerging business and tech hub.
“Tampa Bay is really up and coming, and sort of a hotbed for cybersecurity, entrepreneurship and the fintech space,” Cherish said. “The location was a major factor for why we wanted to be here.”
They took advantage of the region’s strengths and business community, as well as the university’s resources and mentors, to get involved in student groups and networking events, earn coveted internships and participate in pitch competitions that honed their skills.
“When we got down here and first started going to the Nault Center for Entrepreneurship, we were blown away that students were creating and running their own businesses while in college,” Cherish said. “And the university organized multiple pitch competitions where you can pitch your idea and win funding for the business.”
Through those varied experiences, the sisters bonded with other student entrepreneurs and received advice from business leaders, learning more about the ins and outs of starting a company.
“We were generally just curious and wanted to make the best use of our time,” Cherish said. “Obviously, academics are an important part, but what helped elevate us was taking advantage of resources and meeting people who were involved in this entrepreneurial world that could further our learning.”
Besides the money earned from pitch competitions, they were also strongly assisted by both receiving the CREST (Cybersecurity Research and Education for Service in Government) scholarship early in their college career. This allowed each to stop working multiple jobs and give more focus to their learning inside and outside of the classroom.
Though some of their interests overlap, as both will graduate with bachelor’s degrees in Business Analytics and Information Systems with concentrations in Cybersecurity, their experiences at USF and where they go from here diverge.
Cherish Alston
Cherish speaking at the USF Joyce Russell Kente Awards.
Startup: In high school, Cherish and her sister started their entrepreneurship career by selling Pokémon trading cards and eventually transitioned to reselling shoes as a side business. From this experience, Cherish learned that buyers had no inexpensive way to accessorize or personalize their sneakers. This is where her company SoleLuxe comes in, providing premium chains, charms and more to individuals looking to customize their footwear. The business is currently in the prototyping phase and ready to launch the first round of products shortly.
Success so far: Cherish was selected as a finalist for the Hustle Incubator out of 120 applicants and awarded $50,000 in grant funding. She also received $5,000 through the USF Nault Center's Thrive Funding and was one of 100 chosen out of more than 570 applicants nationwide to showcase SoleLuxe at the CEO Global Conference.
Most memorable experience: “Speaking at the USF Joyce Russell Kente Awards in April of last year. I had to write down what I was going to say and it allowed me to sit back and really reflect on what I had to go through to get to this point. Going on stage and speaking to hundreds of people and getting an ovation, it was so powerful and rewarding.”
After graduation: Cherish plans to continue her education and been accepted into graduate programs at UC Berkely and NYU.
Unique Alston
Unique pitching her Ridely company and app during one of many pitch competitions she participated in.
Startup: Unique and her sister didn’t have a car when arriving at USF and saw the challenges some students had when needing transportation in between campuses. This is how Ridely was born, a carpooling platform connecting students in real time. What initially began as a Google sheet that matched student drivers with those in need of rides, has transformed into an app where registered users can input to and from location data and then see available rides based on other students’ routes. The app is now available for download on app stores.
Success so far: Unique was selected to represent USF at the prestigious Governor’s Cup Intercollegiate Pitch Competition, where only one student represents a Florida university and college. She placed second among all who pitched, earning $3,000 for Ridely. She has also won and placed in other pitch competitions with a prior business venture.
Most memorable experience: “Getting the email saying I won a full-ride scholarship. After working so hard at multiple jobs during that first year, my sister and I were in disbelief to get this news. It allowed me the time to pursue my passion in entrepreneurship and cybersecurity. And I’ll also add the first pitch competition where I won money, that was a wow moment.”
After graduation: Unique plans to work on the successful launch of the Ridely app and its use among college students in Florida, as well as continue her education by enrolling in the Cybersecurity graduate program within the USF Bellini College of Artificial Intelligence, Cybersecurity and Computing.