IDEA Club Marketplaces were designed as a testing ground for Grand Canyon University student entrepreneurs.
But in slightly more than three years and more than 35 marketplaces, those events at the Colangelo College of Business courtyard have surpassed the $1 million mark in revenue, according to IDEA Club vice president Lily Courteau.
That revenue has enabled student vendors to pay debts, provide spending money and support dozens of students in expanding their businesses to greater heights.
“It's crazy to think that there's students out there paying for their college just by having a simple product that they 3D printed in a lab or cooking up one of their favorite snacks for other students is inspiring,” Courteau said. “So being able to then organize the whole market so people can do that is so cool.”
The first IDEA Club Marketplace in fall 2023 produced nearly $30,000 in sales from 50 vendors in only 6 ½ hours. That served as a springboard for a spectrum of student vendors, from those selling cultural attire to clothing with Christian messages to jewelry to food.
Chase Nordlund did not know about the vintage clothing resale industry until roommate Michael Keating told him about it. They share Big Bang Vintage and were named to the IDEA Club 25K Club for generating more than $25,000 in revenue at marketplaces during the 2024-25 year.
“People are going to malls and are spending $35 for one T-shirt, one pair of pants. They can get it for $10 here. And it's a one-on-one,” said Nordlund, who graduated from GCU in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in business management. “It’s not the only one in the world, but it’s not as common as that Nike T-shirt they have 50 on a rack.”
Nordlund said the revenue generated from marketplaces allowed him to pay his bills and not seek another job while attending GCU.
Marcus Lund of 507 Distributions, a multimillion dollar wholesale footwear and apparel business, got a boost from marketplaces since his freshman year, aided by a couple of students who ran his business while he attended classes.
“It's helped me pay off my tuition,” said Lund, a junior and another 25K Club member in 2024-25. “It’s also helped me get my name and business out on campus.”
Caleb McCandliss started his Car Chap auto accessory business at a marketplace, and the car lip balm holder received nationwide publicity, having been featured in Car and Driver and Good Housekeeping and on popular automotive YouTube channel Donut Media. McCandliss, a former IDEA Club president, serves as graduate assistant at Canyon Ventures – GCU’s startup business accelerator – under director Connor Vicary, who served as IDEA Club president when the marketplaces started.
Other former students who have prospered since selling their goods at marketplaces include Maria Sartin of Uncontainable women’s activewear and Elijah Nevins and Zach Morelock of faith-based Lynx Athletics Club gym apparel.
“My favorite thing about the marketplaces is seeing the creativity behind it,” McCandliss said. “We have a coffee business that does canning in front of their customers and allows them to have that. And having students start their stepping-stone business so that when they then go out into the workforce, they're more hirable, just because they think like a CEO. They know how to run their financials and make a profit.”
IDEA Club President Ian Miller reported the first marketplace of the fall semester generated more than $20,000 in revenue, despite blazing heat, thanks to 10 vendors who earned more than a combined $17,000.
“We believe in inputs over outputs, so we focus on our inputs,” Miller said. “And that's putting on these valuable marketplaces, making sure that our marketplace team is supported. More important, making sure that our vendors are supported to succeed.”
Miller added that not every vendor is approved for marketplaces, especially if it “involves some kind of strange sort of transaction that might prove harmful to the students. We make sure that it's compliant with GCU and with the safety guidelines put in place. But most of the businesses get approved.”
Courteau believes reaching the $1.5 million mark in revenue by the end of spring is attainable.
“I think it's ambitious compared to previous years, but based on how our first market went, it should be realistic,” Courteau said.
GCU News senior writer Mark Gonzales can be reached at [email protected]
***
Related content:
GCU News: IDEA Club's Marketplace mounts momentum for Canyon Challenge
GCU News: Entrepreneurship student crafts business, help for trafficking victims
