On Friday, March 22, Prolific Kickz celebrated its grand opening on the South 40. The storefront sells trendy sneakers and is the newest addition to the Student Enterprise Program (StEP). Student owners can supplement the valuable business and entrepreneurial skills they learn in the classroom while gaining real-world experience serving the Washington University community.
Prolific Kickz is owned by current WashU student Kevin Chen (BU ’26).
As the newest addition the StEP businesses, we asked Kevin what inspired him to start his own business on campus while also pursuing his studies. See what Kevin had to share about his entrepreneurial journey below!
What inspired you to start your own business? Can you share the story behind your entrepreneurial journey?
I first began my sneaker business when a friend introduced me to the idea during my sophomore year of high school. With an undetermined career path, I thought a side hustle would be cool. Since then, I have been enthralled with entrepreneurship and have continued to put in time and effort to take my business to the next level. When I was in the process of applying to WashU, I heard about the StEP program and at that point had toyed with the idea of opening a shoe store on campus. Earlier this year I heard about the storefront opening and transitioned into the StEP program all while learning the operations of a storefront.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learned so far from starting your business?
The most valuable thing I have learned is that connections are everything. Not just transactions with suppliers and customers, but also having supporters and people who offer advice. I have learned to always reach out and ask more experienced individuals when needed, and I now find myself offering the same support to new people trying to get into the same business. Trust and brand image are everything. I try my best to build both with new and potential connections.
Many students hesitate to start a business due to financial concerns. What helped you make your decision when taking on the financial risk?
I started my business in high school with around $1,000 on a much smaller scale. I have been able to learn how to manage money, budget properly, and subsequently also mitigate risk in the process. Capital constraints are what held me back in the earlier stages, but I think that was a valuable lesson to take time and learn crucial money management skills. This helped me maintain the volume I do today. There are increased financial risks at this stage of business, but trusting my experience and using my best judgement in these situations has played out well.
Have you faced any significant setbacks or challenges in your entrepreneurial journey? How did you overcome them?
As with all businesses, my journey reselling sneakers has been scattered with plenty of ups and downs. There were not any setbacks from the innovation and strategy standpoint, as I regularly spoke with individuals more experienced in the sneaker industry. One of the largest challenges has been formulating connections and knowing who to trust. With primarily private and third-party transactions, it can be difficult to gauge accountability and business ethics based on an online presence. To overcome this challenge, my social media page displays a level of brand image and accountability where individuals are the ones who place their trust in me and feel comfortable doing so. Currently, many suppliers send me shoes first, and are paid once received, which mitigates the risk placed on myself.
What are exciting future plans or developments for your business? What is on the horizon for your entrepreneurial venture?
It has been an amazing journey scaling my business so far, and I still have a lot of fun with it. I think I will always buy and sell shoes to some degree, but I don’t know to what extent that will look like in the future. Integrating my business into the StEP program here at WashU has been a really cool and unique opportunity. I am excited to see how it’s presence will grow on campus throughout my next few years at WashU.
Visit Prolific Kickz, located in the Gregg Storefronts on the South 40.
They are open Friday 5 – 9 PM, Saturday & Sunday 2 – 7 PM.
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