BRYN MAWR, PA — Baldwin School seniors Damia Je and Emily Wang will showcase about 16 student-owned businesses at Bryn Mawr College on Friday, Sept. 25, giving young entrepreneurs from seven area high schools an affordable venue to sell their products and connect with the community.
The Night of Student Entrepreneurs, or NOSE, will run from 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. outside McBride Gateway at 101 N. Merion Ave. Admission is free, and advance registration is not required.
Participating students represent The Baldwin School, Conestoga High School, Garnet Valley High School, Friends’ Central School, William Penn Charter School, Downingtown STEM Academy, and Lower Merion High School.
Visitors will find baked goods, specialty beverages, clothing, room décor, accessories, and artwork. Students will also promote photography services, mobile applications, and other ventures without physical products.
Most vendors plan to accept cash and digital payments through platforms such as Venmo and PayPal, according to the organizers. Music, lawn seating, and picnic space will give visitors opportunities to stay and socialize.
Je and Wang created NOSE after recognizing that student business owners often lack affordable opportunities to reach customers. They began developing the idea during the winter of 2025 and spent about five months contacting venues and recruiting vendors.
“One time in art class, I complained to Emily about how expensive it is to enter a flea market as a student,” Je recalled. That conversation became the starting point for a market designed specifically for high school entrepreneurs.
Je encountered the challenge while looking for sales opportunities for Happy Hugs, the apparel business she created to support advocacy for people with Tourette syndrome, a condition she has lived with since childhood.
Happy Hugs has sold more than 140 hoodies and generated more than 1.5 million social-media views, according to Je. After operating expenses, she plans to donate profits to the Tourette Association of America.
Community-market fees can range from about $45 for smaller events to $400 or more for markets with stronger attendance, Je explained. NOSE is charging each vendor $20 to cover venue and advertising costs, with any surplus reinvested in the event.
Bryn Mawr College offered the students space at a reduced cost after its events staff learned about their plans. The college setting also allowed Je and Wang to expand the event beyond the audience they initially envisioned for a school-based market.
Je designed the NOSE website and contacted potential vendors, while Wang has managed much of the outreach and social-media promotion. Together, they researched student businesses across the region and contacted a local youth entrepreneurship program to recruit participants.
The organizers indicated they were surprised by both the number and variety of student-run businesses they discovered.
“We hope all the participants can stay connected and support each other beyond NOSE,” they stated, also hoping younger visitors will leave inspired to develop ventures of their own.
Je and Wang have discussed the possibility of NOSE continuing after they graduate, though no future event has been scheduled.
A current vendor list and additional information are available at nosebrynmawr.my.canva.site. Updates are also available through the event’s Instagram account, @nose_brynmawr.
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