Demo Day Spotlight: Spencer Strebe and Clear Ballot
Spencer Strebe is a VCUarts student known for bold ideas and a creative spark that shows up every time he steps into the Shift Retail Lab. As a two time Shelfie alumnus, Spencer has built a reputation for bringing fresh and unexpected concepts to life. This year at Demo Day, he introduced a venture that […]
Demo Day Spotlight: Natalia Rooks and Tati Tortillas
Tati Tortillas not only taste good – it does good. VCU School of Business student, Natalia Rooks, started the idea for Tati Tortillas with one simple mission: to bring delicious, authentic tortillas to the United States. Natalia first joined the Shelfie program in the Spring of 2025 to start testing her idea, “I lived abroad […]
Demo Day Spotlight: Kendall Liverpool and The Ballad of a Senior Hawkeye
Kendall Liverpool is a VCUarts student whose creativity shines not only through visual work but also through storytelling. At this year’s Demo Day, he introduced The Ballad of a Senior Hawkeye, a novel crafted by a rising author with a clear voice and a strong sense of character. His project brings readers into the world […]
Demo Day Spotlight: Gabby Reed-Carlock and Giddi
Gabby Reed-Carlock originally developed the idea for her app, Giddi, as part of a first-year VCU Brandcenter course taught by KT Schaeffer. The assignment was to address a need or pain point that they noticed, and develop a product or service to solve that problem. Gabby and her group addressed the question that, on average, […]
Demo Day Spotlight: Malique Middleton and Gewd Ag
Malique Middleton is a VCU MPI alum and a multi cohort Shelfie Program alum whose work centers on food access, community knowledge, and empowerment. At last fall’s Demo Day, Malique presented Gewd Ag, a food focused venture built to help people grow their own food and reconnect with where it comes from. Gewd Ag was […]
Meet the MPI – Cassie Loper
Meet current MPI student, Cassie Loper! Cassie studied Mass Communications with a concentration in Journalism during her time as an undergraduate student. She is currently putting her journalism skills to use through her podcast, Campus Diaries. She is interviewing university community members about their experiences in college. She wants to create a supportive environment for […]
Meet the MPI – Shaira Khan
Meet current MPI student, Shaira Khan! Shaira is an international student from Bangladesh. She is an engineer and luxury fashion designer. She is currently working on developing her own luxury line specializing in leather accessories including handbags and belts. Shaira enjoys cooking, spending time with friends, and exploring luxury designer stores. Shaira is looking to […]
Meet the MPI – Michael Polhemus
Meet current MPI student, Michael Polhemus! Michael is one-half of the business duo of Stomping Grounds, a creative business that aims to develop brands of any age, through creative learning, networking, and community interaction. The aesthetic that Stomping Grounds channels is inspired by streetwear. Michael is developing a week-long creative collaboration event in SHIFT Retail […]
Meet the MPI – Barrett Peters
Meet current MPI student, Barrett Peters! Barrett is formally trained as a pediatric dentist and owned his own multi-location dental specialty practice for a decade. Outside of patient care, he has devoted much of his time advocating for children at the state and federal level and serving his professional organizations in various leadership capacities. Prior to […]
Meet the MPI – Jerica Simmons
Meet current MPI student, Jerica Simmons! Jerica has an bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She is currently working on developing her physical prototyping skills by creating a product for locs, Cultivated Coil: Loc Detox Tool. Jerica has a background in creating impactful change through non-profit work. Jerica enjoys spending time with friends and exploring local Virginia […]
