Oak Originals

Empowering Student Entrepreneurs

Oak Originals is an initiative of the Doherty Center for Creativity, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. The organization seeks to amplify the creative spirit of our students and encourage them to develop micro-businesses and become an active part of the creator economy.

Through pop-up markets, showcases, a stationery market in Clohan Dining Hall, workshops, business consulting and networking events, Oak Originals support our student “creative-preneurs” throughout their entrepreneurial journey.

The mission of Oak Originals is to foster a spirit of “creativepreneurship” on Elon’s campus by promoting student creators, artists and entrepreneurs with support, guidance and resources.

Oak Originals, formally known as Marketplace Under the Oaks, launched in 2020 as a storytelling platform for student creative entrepreneurs and expanded into an initiative to support, showcase and provide resources to student artists, creatives and low-growth ventures at Elon. Doherty Center Scholar Interns, Claire Bach ’21 and Laura Welch ’21, had the vision for the Marketplace as a unique platform to support students on their entrepreneurial journey. Former center director, Alyssa Martina, embraced their vision and together, they launched what’s now Oak Originals.