By Lia Kizilbash Gillet
There was a time when part-time work for college students usually meant waiting tables, delivering pizzas or working in a residence hall. But faculty and leaders in NIU’s College of Business are observing a shift: more students are showing up with side hustles — real ventures they’re running, not hypothetical business ideas created for class.
Students don’t need to wait until after graduation or have thousands of dollars in start-up capital to start and run a business. NIU gives them the tools to elevate their ideas through a supportive environment designed to promote innovation and entrepreneurial thinking. As a result, students are building and scaling brands, managing clients, and earning money as they develop real-world skills before graduation.
“NIU students are known for their grit, creativity and determination,” said Becca Husar, NIU’s associate director of Innovation and Partnership Development, who works closely with student innovators through De La Vega Innovation Lab. Husar sees the benefits of side hustles that go well beyond earning money. “They are learning who they are as professionals as they balance coursework while building something of their own.”
Associate Professor of Entrepreneurship Furkan Gur, De La Vega Faculty Fellow for Innovation & Entrepreneurship, has also seen this shift firsthand.
“I used to ask students whether they had any prior experience with entrepreneurship, and only a few hands would go up,” he said. “Now, more and more students tell me about side hustles they’ve built inspired by personal interests and a drive to explore.”
College of Business Dean Joan Phillips-Hernandez attributes the rise in student-run side hustles to a blend of hands-on learning, institutional resources and support, digital tools and intentionally designed spaces.
“Spaces within the College of Business, such as the De La Vega Innovation Lab, function as more than classrooms,” Phillips-Hernandez said. “They anchor and accelerate innovation by serving as collaboration hubs where students can actively develop and test entrepreneurial ideas.”
Students have access to mentoring, makerspace tools, and skill-building programs — keeping entrepreneurship within reach.
Through the De La Vega Incubator Program, students receive mentorship as they develop and launch new ventures. The annual Pitch Competition allows emerging entrepreneurs to present their concepts to judges, gain feedback and compete for seed funding, while the Experts-in-Residence Series connects students with professionals who share real-world insights that accelerate learning. For graduate students, the Technology Commercialization Competition, in partnership with NASA, challenges them to evaluate advanced NASA technologies and design market-ready commercialization strategies.
Students Latda “Meme” Sanamixay, Qazi Ellahi, and Jermar Johnson all have ventures that demonstrate how the entrepreneurial culture within the College of Business turns a side hustle into real, hands-on learning.
Sanamixay, a marketing major pursuing a minor in business innovation and entrepreneurship, is also a licensed nail technician. She launched a side hustle to address a common problem her clients face: wanting long, beautiful nails while working in jobs that require shorter, more practical ones. With support from NIU and encouragement from Professor Gur, she is launching a website to sell custom press-on nails she designs and produces herself while also exploring innovative alternatives — like magnetic glue or clips — to make nails easier to put on and take off.
“NIU has helped me greatly,” Sanamixay said. “My entrepreneurship classes helped me explore and narrow down the path I want to take. Our crowdfunding project brought my idea to life. Professor Gur has been extremely helpful in finding support for his students and never shuts down an idea. He even brought in the NIU Business Law Clinic to meet with us individually; they offer free legal services.”
Sanamixay also found community and support through the De La Vega Innovation Lab.
“They host a bunch of great speakers and have labs where students can interact with faculty and gather feedback,” she said.
Applied management major Qazi Ellahi is also pursuing a minor in business innovation and entrepreneurship. After experiencing how confusing and stressful the car-buying process can be — especially for students and first-time buyers — Ellahi started a service to help individuals find and purchase vehicles. His focus is on building trust, refining his workflow and growing his client base.
“Success means consistently helping people get reliable cars at fair prices while building long-term relationships and referrals,” he said. “I’ve learned that execution matters more than ideas and that listening closely to customers is the fastest way to improve and grow.”
Ellahi credits his NIU coursework and professors for helping him think more strategically about his business.
“Courses that emphasize customer discovery, validation and real-world application rather than theory alone have been very helpful,” he said. “Professors who emphasize experimentation and feedback have had a big impact on how I approach my business.”
His business also helps cover educational and personal expenses, reducing his reliance on outside financial support.
Computer science major Jermar Johnson, also pursuing a business innovation and entrepreneurship minor, is developing a tech platform that allows everyday people to invest in musicians, much like they invest in stocks. NIU’s resources are helping him define and reach his target audience.
“I have learned that preparation can be a business killer,” he said. “Execution is everything, and while preparation is necessary, I’ve learned that it’s better to do something imperfectly than to wait too long.”
Johnson credits the mentorship of Federico Bassetti, NIU’s assistant director for the Office of Innovation, and Professor Gur for pushing him forward.
These stories illustrate how NIU’s entrepreneurship ecosystem enables students to work on actual ventures — not just hypothetical ones — with support, guidance and resources that turn ambition into action.
“In our classes, we create a sandbox where students can safely test ideas and turn those early ventures into real businesses,” Gur said. “We guide them through cutting-edge academic content on entrepreneurship and give them access to prototyping resources, workspace, legal help, funding, mentors, and networking opportunities — everything they need to learn by doing.”
“Running a side hustle forces students to make decisions, communicate clearly, and take ownership — skills that prepare students for whatever path they choose after graduation,” Husar added. “That’s exactly why NIU invests in providing hands-on entrepreneurship learning opportunities for students such as the De La Vega Incubator Program, Pitch Competition, and Experts-in-Residence Series.”
Faculty emphasize that students don’t have to delay their ideas or venture into Chicago, or elsewhere, to pursue entrepreneurship.
“We surround students with the right combination of resources and nurture their entrepreneurial mindset so they can pursue their ideas here and now,” Gur said.
Watch how the De La Vega Innovation Lab sparks student innovation here.
Discover more inspiring ways NIU supports student success beyond the classroom at niuforward.com.
