Student Entrepreneurs Sell Products at Sidewalk Saturday Events

Cedarville’s main street comes alive on the first Saturday of every month as residents and the college community gather for Sidewalk Saturday. Each event features a fun assortment of activities, including line dancing, food trucks and local vendors.  

In booths lining the sidewalks, students from the Cedarville University Entrepreneurs (CUE) student organization market their products and gain hands-on experience as business owners.  

In August of 2024, Dr. Kary Oberbrunner, assistant professor at Cedarville University and Berry Chair of entrepreneurship, and William Woods II, a sophomore marketing student from Seward, Pennsylvania, and the president of CUE, contacted Revitalize Cedarville, a local organization dedicated to fostering community engagement. Both groups agreed that the student businesses would add value to the Sidewalk Saturday events.  

Not only would visitors be able to enjoy downtown favorites like Beans-n-Cream, Church St. Cookies and Colonial Pizza, but they could also explore the students’ pop-up stores.   

“One of the main focuses in our CUE organization is to help students build their businesses and gain real-world experience while pursuing their degree,” said Woods. “These students aim to reach Cedarville students with their innovations while also building relationships with the local community.”  

Several student-led businesses have been featured at Sidewalk Saturdays. Timothy Goodman, a sophomore marketing major, sold Bluegrass Threads, a line of embroidered home decor and bags. UltraLyte Running, an endurance running gear line by Aaron Perry, featured hats made for distance runners. Cooper Peterson, 2024 alumni with a master’s degree in innovation and entrepreneurship, sold gloves for cold weather running through his company, Run Glubz. Vinyl Coffee was served by Grant Estepp, a junior majoring in worship. Molly’s Masterpieces provided a collection of handmade crochet pieces made by senior allied health major Molly Goodman, and Eve’s Original Sin Cookies sold treats made by Eve Welhener.  

“I sold out at each of the Sidewalk Saturday Events,” said Welhener, a junior business management major from Vandalia, Ohio. “Seeing people line up in front of my table to purchase my cookies was beyond special. I would not have these business opportunities if not for the CUE organization.”  

Each student has gained valuable experience by participating in the Sidewalk Saturday events. They have learned lessons in inventory control, visual marketing and the expansion of customer demographics. 

“Sharing my endurance running gear with customers who might not otherwise encounter my products has been incredible,” said Perry, a junior majoring in economics from Overland Park, Kansas, and the founder of UltraLyte Running. “This opportunity has given me the chance to connect with people I would have never met without Sidewalk Saturdays.”  

CUE’s collaboration with Revitalize Cedarville provides creative business experiences to aspiring entrepreneurs and offers the Cedarville community the opportunity to be among the first to support new student-led businesses.  

Cedarville University, a Baptist institution in southwest Ohio, offers undergraduate and graduate residential and online programs across arts, sciences, and professional fields. With 6,384 students, it ranks among Ohio’s largest private universities and is recognized by the Wall Street Journal as being among the nation’s top three evangelical universities. Cedarville is also known for its vibrant Christian community, challenging academics, and high graduation and retention rates. Learn more at cedarville.edu.