The Hub plays a significant role in entrepreneur Abigail Rosilier’s company.
On the corner of Fourth Street and Texas Tech Parkway is a 44,000-square-foot pillar of light for West Texas entrepreneurs. Texas Tech University's Innovation Hub at Research Park signifies that the future is more attainable today than ever before.
The Hub has 15 entrepreneurial programs to assist startups, including seed funding. These are tools that aid new entrepreneurs of the Hub to outline progress and obtain their goals.
In 2023, the Innovation Hub startup companies raised $8 million in capital investments and were awarded 68 new trademarks, patents, and/or copyrights. The Hub has 60 industry mentors supporting startups with over 7,000 volunteer mentor hours logged last year.
“We're all about economic development -- we want students at Texas Tech to learn here, grow their company here and stay in West Texas,” said Taysha Williams managing director at the Innovation Hub.
The Hub has multiple startup initiatives such as its Texas Tech Accelerator Program that supports entrepreneurs launching innovative startups. This is a year-long program that includes $25,000 in funding, mentors, monthly business bootcamps and additional resources. The Hub is a space for collaboration and ideation, providing entrepreneurial minds with all the resources and connections needed to be successful.
The Accelerator program is on its seventh cohort of entrepreneurs, comprising eight startups. One of those is abbyrose, a phone case company started by current Jerry S. Rawls College of Business student Abigail Rosilier. She is set to graduate in May with a bachelor's in business management and several years of business experience.
Being a college student is difficult enough, but Rosilier has managed to juggle school and a successful business throughout her college career.
“I struggle with that. I would love to feel like I have it all down, but I don't,” Rosilier said humbly. “It's definitely hard, but I find the more I have on my plate the more scheduled I become. Some advice I would give is make your schedule and hold yourself accountable. You'll find a groove.”
Rosilier always has had an entrepreneurial spirit. She had a few stints with small businesses, beginning in the fifth grade, that she'd start and end often within a few months.
Rosilier began abbyrose as a 16-year-old in her parents' garage during her junior year of high school. She transitioned to homeschooling due to the demanding training schedule of competing in acrobatic gymnastics. She credits acro with shaping her into the person she is today, beginning the sport at age 5. Turns out acro gymnastics also helped with abbyrose because of the connections it afforded her.
“I had so many connections and friends from different states because I was constantly competing,” Rosilier said. “That was a lot of help when I first started abbyrose because I started selling to people in Maryland and California. It was good to have a ton of friends in different states.”
Rosilier explained she had a phone case business in years prior to starting abbyrose, but like before, ended it within a few months.
“Theres no ‘aha moment' that was like, let me do cases. It'll do so well,” said Rosilier. “It was kind of just like, I have the stuff. I haven't done a business in a while and I'm homeschooled now for my sport, so might as well try it again.”
When she tried again, she was met with a resounding response as abbyrose has amassed nearly 500 thousand followers and over 15 million likes across social media platforms. Rosilier runs the company with the help of her three siblings and her mother.
The family-owned and operated business continues to flourish with the support of The Hub.
“I started with their iLaunch Competition, their version of ‘Shark Tank,' and then the Texas Tech Accelerator, and then I got an office,” said Rosilier. “It all just kind of fell into place – opened so many doors that you didn't even know could be opened.
“We got into the TTU Accelerator Program a year ago. I've never had mentors before; they helped us focus on the important things. We were trying to launch five products at once, and they were like, ‘You need to scale.'”
Taking one glance at Rosilier's office space at the Hub, her room or even her company's logo you may notice a common theme: pink, and lots of it. Her favorite color covers her well-organized office floor to wall. The office is filled with equipment she uses to promote her products on social media like ring lights, phone stands and bins filled with phone cases.
“I'm there every day,” said Rosilier. “It's such a good environment there, you'll want to go and stay because there's such good energy. The Hub has so many opportunities constantly. They've helped literally in every way possible.”
If you have a business idea or would like to explore entrepreneurship, visit the Innovation Hub's website, innovationhub.ttu.edu to learn more about its programs.