Five enterprising University of Iowa students turned a project in Bob Walker’s entrepreneurial finance class into a booming business, transforming a $20 investment into a $6,000 windfall.
Their product? Koozies for a Cause—black and gold drink sleeves designed to honor and support occupants of the University of Iowa Stead Family Children’s Hospital. The clever idea, combined with teamwork, transformed a small budget into a huge impact. Each koozie reads, Wave to the Brave.
“It’s nice knowing we are doing something that gives back to people,” said team member Jaelyn Boley, a junior majoring in enterprise leadership. “We created something that resonates with all of Iowa, [feeding off] a known tradition.”
The tradition Boley is referring to is The Wave, that, since 2017, occurs after the first quarter of every Hawkeyes home football game. That’s when thousands of fans, players, and staff turn toward the Stead Family Children’s Hospital that overlooks Kinnick Stadium and wave to patients watching from the hospital’s top floors. The gesture has consistently been rated the top tradition in college sports.
“We knew the Stead Family Children’s Hospital would be a good target market audience,” said Natalie Noonan, a senior majoring in entrepreneurial management and pre-law. “We also knew we were going to donate the profits.”
Boley, Noonan, and team members Jacob Sommer, Jackson Glenn, and Jared Weeks presented a check for $6,000 to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital on Nov. 11. The gift will help cover general fund expenses like gas and meals for families of patients.
This is the fifth year Walker has included the $20 Startup into the entrepreneurial finance syllabus. Team members chip in $15 for the project and Walker adds $5. Every “founder” takes turns reporting how much money has been made and examines their profit margins. If a team member doesn’t carry their weight, they can be “fired.”
“This is real life,” Walker said.
This isn’t the first time a team from Walker’s entrepreneurial finance class has enjoyed success. In 2021, Peyton Haack and Gratt Reed made more than $3,000 on their Water 4 Wellness project. Their profits were also donated to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital.
Water 4 Wellness served as motivation for Koozies for a Cause.
“A lot of us are very competitive so when [Walker] told us how well [Water 4 Wellness] had done, we knew right away we wanted to beat that amount,” Noonan said.
The $20 Startup began in September and concluded in October. Koozies for a Cause members sold regular can koozies for $5 and slim can koozies for $8 (mostly to family and friends through social media or word of mouth). Because of demand, two re-orders were placed. After the team presented its check to the Stead Family Children’s Hospital, it donated all remaining koozies to families and nurses in the hospital. All told, Koozies for a Cause boasted an 82% profit margin.
The success of Koozies for a Cause went beyond impressive sales figures; it reflected the team’s dedication to both entrepreneurial principles and a meaningful cause. Their hands-on experience showed that small-scale ventures can make a significant difference.
“It helps me restore faith in our younger generation,” Walker said. “They worked hard and were willing to give back, and that selflessness is encouraging.”