Nikita Morrison '20
Major | Marketing
Minor | Graphic Design
Nest | Consumer
The Baker Institute met Niki when she first applied for EUREKA! Pitch Night in March 2018. Her first pitch for New Beginnings, her vegan shoe line, wasn't a winner, but she came back the following month and was awarded funding and mentoring.
Niki applied for this summer's Hatchery program in February, and has been able to reflect on her journey:
"When I first started the Hatchery I was bit nervous when it came down to opening up not about myself but about my idea. In the beginning as an icebreaker, we stuck post its on the wall about our curiosities and such. A note I put on the wall - that was to my surprise the most favorited sticky note - “Do I have what it takes?” I learned quickly that I’m not the only one in the boat. There are struggles that everyone comes across but it may not be shared as willingly. Being in the Hatchery pushes you to be honest with yourself and others around you. You will not be surprised to find out how many others relate to you and/or your problem."
We asked Niki - Take us through the Demo Day experience: How did you prepare for it? What went well? What would you do differently? What did you learn?
"Demo Day was incredibly stressful but manageable. I’m glad my aesthetic overall is simplicity and i was able to carry that through my presentation. I prepared for it by providing numbers as guest speaker, Paul Martino '95 suggested. People love to hear numbers and I researched the vegan and animal free market. I then moved on to showing an example of the products I wanted to create, so I bought the shoes I wanted. I had mood board inspired pictures to showcase how my ideal customer would be going for.
On Demo Day, I was nervous and had not cracked down my pitch yet. I figured once I kept talking I would get better with it in time which I did. I was given feedback both good and bad, but was overall helpful. I got feedback and likes that inspired me to keep pushing because my idea is something. It’s nice to know when someone shows interest and ask you if you are already established. I loved that my idea was supported and altered by people walking by."
We can't wait to see what you'll do next, Niki!