Fordham Marketing Association Brings New Life to Hughes Hall Cart

Undergraduate | Mar 06, 2023 | Gabelli School of Business

Entrepreneurs Jack Ghannam, GABELLI ’25, and Lucas Villanueva, GABELLI ’25, standing with offerings from their company PIntry Jewelry.

Most of us know the popcorn-style cart in Hughes Hall that has pretty much become a coat rack. It gets used a handful of times a month for real purposes, but there is nothing consistent and inspiring for students to look forward to. That is when Associate Professor Marcia Flicker, Ph.D., took a step back and realized the opportunity people on campus were missing out on by not using this cart for something special. She took this concern up with the Fordham Marketing Association (FMA), and said, “You guys are the marketers, let’s come together and figure out a way to market something with this cart.”

After this push from Flicker, FMA decided it would be in everyone’s best interest to use the cart as a way to showcase the products/services of Fordham student entrepreneurs! A few times a month, FMA will sponsor pop-ups in Hughes Hall where a chosen entrepreneur can decorate the cart and host fun activities to gain awareness for their businesses. Not only would this bring light to the creative, inspiring work of student entrepreneurs, but FMA will gain awareness simultaneously.

FMA has quickly gotten the ball rolling – so far they have gathered a motivated and creative committee of six new people, and received approval (and kind words) from both Marisa Villani, Ph.D., senior assistant dean for undergraduate studies; and Gabelli School of Business Dean Lerzan Aksoy, Ph.D. Because the cart is used infrequently, it was easy for the committee to book two dates in March for pop-ups. The first student entrepreneurs, Jack Ghannam and Lucas Villanueva, showcased their company Plntry Jewelry on March 6, 2023. Plntry Jewelry is a retail jewelry brand with a strong purpose – a percentage of its profits are donated to a youth education program in North Carolina.

The FMA is always open to new ideas on how to make these pop-ups both engaging and effective and is excited to see where this project goes.