While Dalton’s academic background is rooted in agriculture, his entrepreneurial ambitions lie in residential construction. After gaining valuable insight through a summer internship with a custom home builder along the Gulf Coast, Dalton developed a deep respect for the complexity, precision, and impact of creating someone’s dream home. That experience became the seed for HCH,… Read More →
AGEC 425
Evan Ehrlich ’26: Turning Dirt into Dollars
Born and raised in Lufkin, Texas, Evan Ehrlich ‘26 has always been passionate about the outdoors. Growing up, he would mow yards. This eventually led to him getting into landscaping and working on projects such as installing flowerbeds. While working on these projects, Evan noticed that there were significant mark-ups on the products he was… Read More →
Rister Army Spotlight: Sohee Kang ’27
Sohee Kang ’27 is a Master of Agribusiness (MAB) student at Texas A&M University, where she has worked this past 2024-2025 academic year as a Graduate Teaching Assistant for Dr. Ed Rister’s Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program. Her path to agriculture came through a mix of international education, professional work in venture capital, and a growing interest… Read More →
Emma Brett’s ’25 desire to combine her passion with entrepreneurship
What first motivated Emma Brett ’25 to join the Dianne and M. Edward Rister ‘74 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program? Her desire to succeed not only as a dentist but as a business owner. Born and raised in Hardin, Texas, Emma knew from a young age that she wanted to attend dental school, but was concerned, because… Read More →
Rooted in Community: Rylee Goolsby’s plan to give back to her hometown
Coming to Texas A&M from Wortham, Texas, Rylee Goolsby ’25 originally was a Poultry Science major. In her first semester, she discovered the Dianne and Ed Rister ‘74 Agribusiness Entrepreneurship Program. She realized this program could help her achieve her dream of opening a general store in Wortham, a small, rural town with a population… Read More →
Building a Successful Entrepreneur: Ellis Trevino
Ellis has spent the last few months building her AGEC 425 project, Olympus Elite, a cheer, tumbling, and gymnastics gym. She chose this business due to her experience cheering in the past, taking tumbling lessons, and working at a gymnastics gym. “I have a passion for this business idea so I thought it would be… Read More →
Building a Business in College: Walker Lenamon ’25
From Dirt Bikes to Construction Sites Walker grew up loving cars and dirt bikes. As a teenager, he picked up photography and turned it into more than a hobby. He learned to create advertisements, which sparked an interest in marketing. He thought about making that passion a career when he started college, but everything shifted… Read More →
From Student to Mentor: Chloe Muzny’s Journey
Chloe Muzny ’20 immersed herself in business long before stepping on Texas A&M’s campus. She entered college with a determination to turn classroom lessons into real-world applications. She started working for her aunt and uncle in high school at Small Farm Innovations (SFI), a company specializing in compact balers and other farming equipment tailored to… Read More →
12 Days of Profs: Phil Livengood – An Entrepreneurial Journey with Small Farm Innovations
Day four of our semester speaker recap brings us to local entrepreneur Phil Livengood. With a story of innovation and perseverance, Livengood gave the class insights into building a niche rural business from scratch. The Birth Of Small Farm Innovations Small Farm Innovations (SFI) began in 2006 in Caldwell, Texas, when Phil Livengood identified a… Read More →
12 Days of Profs: Lorenzo Gomez III – Deputizing your Personal Board of Directors
From bagging groceries to celebrated author, mentor, and entrepreneur, our next Pro-for-a-Day has done it all. Lorenzo Gomez joined us in class this year to share his story and talk about the importance of building your “personal board of directors,” investing in your reputation, and embracing opportunities. A Journey from HEB #5 to Business Owner… Read More →