Exploring New Horizons: Reflecting on Envzn’s Collaboration with NC State Students

With a new school year underway, we’re reflecting on our ongoing partnership with NC State University’s Management and Innovation/Entrepreneurship (MIE) program. This collaboration began in Spring 2023, continued in Fall 2024, and has helped shape the way Envzn approaches growth.

 

Our first team in Spring 2023 gave us invaluable insights into customer discovery, adaptability, and the importance of refining our market focus. Those lessons influenced our work long after their semester ended. By the time we partnered with a new MIE student team in Fall 2024, we had already made changes: broadening our outreach efforts, sharpening our messaging, and looking more closely at how our brand connects with startups and small businesses.

 

The Fall 2024 collaboration brought together a diverse team. Eva Earnest (Business Administration), Brooke Denton (Psychology & Business Entrepreneurship), Julia Griffin (Agribusiness Management), and Dylan Esham (Entrepreneurship and Accounting) worked closely with Envzn founder Rebecca Ross to conduct feasibility analysis, explore creative branding strategies, and test ways to reach more of our target market.

 

From the start, the students stepped into the role of real-world consultants. Their work spanned customer discovery, survey creation, interviews, feasibility analysis, and even the design of a mockup website that incorporated what potential customers valued most.

 

Eva led the development of an online survey and ventured into craft fairs and markets to talk directly with entrepreneurs. It was a move that pushed her out of her comfort zone. “I realized people are more welcoming than you may think,” she reflected. She also contributed to interviews, the feasibility analysis, and presentations, helping expand Envzn’s understanding of its target audience.

 

Brooke brought a creative eye to the project, designing the midpoint and final presentations as well as a mockup website for Envzn’s rebrand. “I loved learning more about marketing and branding and coming up with new ideas to promote Envzn,” she shared. “It was rewarding to see our deliverables actually make a difference.” Her work reinforced the importance of a defined target audience and the dedication it takes to run a startup.

 

The group was organized by Julia who ensured that meetings were consistent, tasks were delegated effectively and timelines were met. She emphasized the value of confident, respectful communication when delivering feedback to company leadership. “Seeing Rebecca treat us like real consultants was inspiring,” she said. “I now have a lot more respect for the commitment and risk entrepreneurs take on.”

 

Across the board, the students pointed to personal growth in public speaking, networking, and customer engagement. They also experienced firsthand the challenge of translating outreach into action, particularly when asking people to complete surveys. They students learned that marketing efforts often need to be doubled to reach intended goals.

 

For Envzn, the partnership yielded actionable insights on market expansion, customer values, and branding direction. The team’s feasibility analysis and website mockup provided concrete next steps for connecting with startups seeking affordable, effective marketing solutions.

 

Looking back from Fall 2025, it’s clear how much both NC State teams have shaped our path. The Spring 2023 students laid the groundwork for our customer discovery and adaptability strategies while the Fall 2024 students built on that foundation with targeted research, creative branding concepts, and a clearer picture of how to engage our audience. Each group’s work has left a lasting mark, helping us refine our approach, expand our reach, and stay true to our mission: making effective marketing accessible to the startups and small businesses that need it most.