Entrepreneurship programs sparks KU student's nonprofit venture, creates leadership opportunities

Junior Ashton Barker arrived at KU with no clear plan of involvement, but after stepping foot on campus, something switched. His growing hunger for opportunity and curious mind led him to explore entrepreneurship, a path that would change the trajectory of his college career.

Growing up in Overland Park with two KU alumni parents, Barker’s journey as a Jayhawk started long before college. From attending football and basketball games, he saw the strong community presence the school offered and wanted to be a part of it.

Barker always knew his path would be in business, but specifically, he wanted an outlet to express his creative ideas and expand his network. Pursuing a marketing major with a minor in entrepreneurship delivered that.

“Marketing and entrepreneurship go hand in hand,” Barker said. “You can’t be an entrepreneur without selling yourself, as well as selling your business. You have to be passionate about it and be able to pitch your business wherever and whenever.”

With a direction in mind, Barker aspired to get experience in the field. When Ryan Rains, director of entrepreneurship co-curricular programs, presented The Catalyst program to his entry-level business class, he jumped at the opportunity.

The Catalyst is a three-stage program that provides resources for students to start their own business venture while growing their business knowledge and skills through real-world experience. To enter, students must curate a fresh business concept.

“I never thought about entrepreneurship before or even starting my own business, but that night and the weeks after that, I put my head down and thought about what business would be meaningful and something I would have the passion to move forward with,” Barker said. “I finally got my idea and applied to The Catalyst program.”

That idea became “Fetch,” a nonprofit designed to prevent school violence by selling pendants or bag tags that attach to any apparel. A percentage of the proceeds would help to fund school resource officers and mental health counseling in schools.  

Connecting to the overall mission, the name “Fetch” was inspired by Norse mythology. The word conveys the purpose of protecting and accompanying a person to their fate or fortune.  

“The idea of buying someone else this symbol represents that ‘hey, I am thinking about I want to keep you safe,’ while also having that tangible part of ‘I am donating this in your name to go help prevent violence in the future,’” Barker said. 

This business venture was not just an entrance ticket to The Catalyst for him, but it served as a passion project. Barker connected with principals, teachers, students and parents to broaden his perspective from every angle. He sought to make a difference in a topic largely affecting the nation.

“It’s hard to talk about because it is such a grim and otherwise pretty negative topic, so the whole goal of what I was trying to do was to create a more positive community around it,” Barker said.

He tabled the nonprofit at the Merchants Week Student Venture Showcase, an event held by the School of Business during its centennial year in January 2025, that gave entrepreneurial students the chance to present their ideas and get real-time feedback.  

“It’s a cool opportunity to get up in front of my peers and have them actually be curious about a business you are starting,” Barker said. “When I go around to other entrepreneurs, and I listen to their pitch, I’m thinking, ‘how did I not think of that?’ and to know that other people are thinking the same thing is really special.”

Barker pumped the brakes on his venture as his focus shifted elsewhere. He stepped up his role in the revitalization of the Entrepreneurship Cub, a student-run organization that’s part of the Undergraduate Business Council. Consisting of three members two years ago, their club meetings now fill classrooms with new students eager to get involved.

The club’s goal is to teach inspiring entrepreneurs business skills without the high-stakes environment. Members can create mini projects with resources provided by the club and hear from guest speakers in the field to help empower students for their future career paths.  

“It’s nice to have this specific place within the business building as entrepreneurs where we can be creative, ideate and innovate, all these things that we don’t specifically get in our other majors,” Barker said.

Looking ahead, Barker sees a possible career in sales, but that doesn’t mean he will be closing off his chapter of entrepreneurship. He has hopes to revisit his nonprofit idea again or a possible new venture that fulfills his desire for creativity and to make a lasting impact.

“Entrepreneurs never stop being entrepreneurs,” Barker said. “You are always coming up with new ideas on what to pursue next.”