A group of students in the Contemporary Business class (BUSI 106) at Alfred University developed an original fragrance spray they say will give consumers who use it confidence while pursuing their goals.
Jeffrey Merejo, a marketing major (business analytics minor) at Alfred University, with some of the ingredients and finished product from his Contemporary Business (BUSI 106) project. He and five other students developed, marketed, and sold a sprayable fragrance. Proceeds from the sales of the product are being donated to the Alfred Food Bank.
In the Contemporary Business class, taught by Jean Ellefson, assistant professor of analytics in Alfred University’s College of Business, students learn about entrepreneurship by creating and running a business. The course reflects the College of Business’s and university’s efforts to offer experiential learning opportunities to students. Students write business plans, create a pitch for their plans, and ultimately make their business plans a reality. All profits are donated to charities selected by the students.
“Identity” is the student-led business selling cologne and has earmarked its profits for the Alfred Food Bank. The fragrance is made from a mix of fragrant oils sourced from Africa and perfumer’s alcohol. It is packaged in convenient pump spray bottles and has been sold across campus over the last two weeks.
According to sophomore Jeffrey Merejo, a marketing major (business analytics minor) from Monroe, NY, his group chose the product for its potential to imbue in consumers a feeling of self-assurance. “We wanted to figure out a way to give people more confidence. It smells good and gives you the confidence to walk into a room and do anything you believe you can do,” he said.
“We came up with multiple ideas,” Merejo continued. “We thought about tote bags, temporary tattoos, coolers, but then decided to do something different. We wanted something budget friendly, like a cologne that doesn’t cost two or three hundred dollars. We wanted quality at a lower price.”
Students used AI to learn how to mix the ingredients, Merejo explained, then placed the mixture in the amber bottles to “mature for two or three weeks.” At that point, the cologne was put into the small spray bottles that the students have been selling around campus.
The group started out with 200 units and began selling them April 22. As of last week, the students had sold about $500 worth of the product, with plans to sell the rest in the days leading up to the end of the semester.
Other members of Merejo’s team include Riley Farnham, a senior business administration major (chemistry minor) from Hornell, NY; Thomas Hann, a first-year business administration major from Chicago, IL; Evan Loebis, a sophomore data analytics major from Manhattan, NY; Nurs Nurgali, a sophomore data analytics major from Almaty, Kazakhstan; and Nelly Mbugeni, a sophomore business administration major from Tanga, Tanzania.
Merejo says the project he and classmates worked on will benefit him not only as a student, but in his future professional career.
“This class gave me real, hands-on experience in turning an idea into something tangible. It pushed me to think more like an entrepreneur and showed me how teamwork, problem solving, and consistency all play a role in building something from the ground up,” Merejo said. “I think it is going to help me a lot moving forward, both academically and in my future career, because it gave me a better understanding of what it actually takes to execute an idea.”
