By Giulia Gutzwiller, Newswire Intern

Senior marketing major Caleb Smith and junior management and marketing double major Jackson Fry have been added to the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Inno Under 25 list for their roles in co-founding and managing Better Blend Xavier (BBX).  

Each year, a group of young entrepreneurs from the Cincinnati area are nominated by Cincinnati Business Courier (CBC) readers and selected by Cincy Inno staff to make the Under 25 list. Six people were chosen this year, including Smith and Fry. The Cincinnati Business Courier’s article described this group of six as “driven by passion, hustle and grit.”  

Smith and Fry were praised for hiring and training their workers and creating BBX’s departments of marketing, operations, human resources, outreach and finance. They were also recognized for planning construction, working with architects, hiring general contractors and preparing for health inspections over the summer. 

Smith and Fry are both proud of their achievement and are hopeful about their future business careers.  

“I’m incredibly honored to receive recognition for the work I’ve put into BBX. I’m proud of myself, Caleb and our entire team behind us. I believe it’s a pivotal moment in my young career,” Fry said. 

“This is more than pivotal in my career. This gives me the motivation to keep growing and striving for more. I don’t want this to be the end, but the beginning of my success in my career,” Smith said.   

The article from CBC also highlighted how quickly Smith and Fry were able to set up and open BBX. Over the course of four months, the pair took all the necessary steps to build BBX from the ground up. In August, BBX officially opened in Smith Hall, providing students with a new dining option.  

The pair has faced challenges along their journey and continue to encounter day-to-day obstacles.  

“The biggest challenge has been growing the business in general. This has been an ongoing challenge. We have changed our strategies and daily tasks to try and reach specific initiatives throughout the semester and now have a better idea of what doesn’t and will work,” Smith said.  

“Challenges have come in all shapes and sizes throughout this process. The best thing for our professional development is learning to navigate the challenges and learning how to problem-solve on the fly,” Fry said.  

Despite these difficulties, BBX has achieved financial success with an average of 140 customers per day and a 150% increase in revenue since its opening.  

Along with managing BBX, Smith and Fry are full time students who strive to leave a lasting impact on the Xavier community. 

“Some may want to measure the success by a dollar amount or the number of customers. For me, it’s about the impact I can leave on Xavier and my effect on the students here,” Smith said.  

“I don’t think Caleb and I are too concerned with measuring BBX’s monetary success. However, we remain focused on building a foundation that will allow BBX to thrive long after our time at Xavier. Long term success, to us, is where we leave our impact,” Fry said.