UNI student puts business first in national entrepreneur competition
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(ABC 6 News) – Just because something in your closet that’s old doesn’t mean it can’t be made into something new. For one University of Northern Iowa student, she’s proving that’s the case.
UNI junior Reyna Jorgenson has her own clothing line, Recreated by Rey. With more than 100 people applying, she earned one of the 25 spots in the National Schulze Entrepreneurship Challenge at the University of St. Thomas.
Think of the challenge as like the ABC show, Shark Tank. Jorgenson pitched her line of clothing to a panel of judges to try and win $50,000. For her, her company is about a commitment to zero-waste design.
“I taught myself to sew and then I’d take those garments I found at the thrift [store] as well,” explained Jorgenson.
“I recycled those into hyper-individualized pieces and people were willing to pay a pretty penny for those unique pieces so really, thrifting got me into it.”
Just because something in your closet that's old doesn't mean it can't be made into something new. For one University of Northern Iowa student, she's proving that's the case.
For Jorgenson, she said the biggest issue is meeting demand. So far, every piece she’s made has sold out and it takes her about six hours to make one piece.
After graduation, she hopes to continue her company and hire more people to help her meet demand.
To view the final results, CLICK HERE.