Anya Berlova is a junior at Leeds School of Business studying finance. She鈥檚 very engaged with the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship and involved in cross-campus entrepreneurship activities, including the CU Boulder Entrepreneurship Passport program. We caught up with Anya to learn about her unique approach to combating bullying and her upcoming .
A bully-free society
Anya鈥檚 startup, , works to combat bullying by encouraging people to show their uniqueness and unique selves. She believes that one of the keys to a bullying-free society is for every person to build confidence around their individuality and not succumb to any fear surrounding the expression of who they are. At the core of the company are its mascots, Sheepers and Puggie, two quirky and adventurous individuals who are not afraid to stand out.
Anya started the company as a freshman at CU when she decided to use her illustrations to support individuality and spread positivity through products such as canvasboards and mugs, which she sold during the holiday season at Nordstrom and during fairs.听
鈥淎s someone who鈥檚 had experience with bullying, I鈥檝e always felt passionate about the topic of bullying and decided to act on it and raise awareness for this cause. I think it is something that affects many people at some point in their lives in various forms.鈥�
During Anya鈥檚 sophomore year, she integrated anti-bullying initiatives within her startup鈥檚 mission and produced an anti-bullying short film that is currently in post-production and will be released in 2020. Most recently, she was invited to a university in Tokyo to present on the topic of Women鈥檚 Entrepreneurship and was also selected as one of three US startups to participate in the HSE International Startups and Spin-Offs Festival in St. Petersburg, Russia.
A business model that gives back
In order to combat bullying in schools, Anya began working on designing a technology to teach children anti-bullying strategies and help them develop their self-confidence and individuality. As a way to further support uniqueness and raise awareness for the mission, she developed a shirt and tote bag line that features Sheepers and Puggie. A percentage of profits from each product will go towards various anti-bullying and mental health organizations, including (but not limited to):
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STOMP Out Bullying
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No Bully
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Brain & Behavior Research Foundation
Taking advantage of local resources
In her freshman year, Anya pitched to the Get Seed Funding team and used the seed money she received to buy animation software for the creation of an anti-peer pressure animated film that will bring Sheepers and Puggie to life. As a short and fun example, Anya created in honor of the Bohemian Rhapsody film release featuring both characters.听听
She鈥檚 also found a strong support network both on- and off-campus, working closely with Zayo Group and the Deming Center for Entrepreneurship. With the support of Erick Mueller, she was one of the three startups chosen to represent the US for the HSE International Startups & Spin-Offs Festival this June in St. Petersburg, Russia. The festival brought together youth startups from all over the world, and she was honored to be chosen.
Advice to current students
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From the book #GIRLBOSS, 鈥淲e control our thoughts and our thoughts control our lives.鈥�
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It鈥檚 best to go out there and start doing something. It may not be perfect and perhaps not exactly what you expected, but it鈥檚 much better than to sit back and do nothing. If you鈥檙e being proactive and staying motivated, at some point, something鈥檚 BOUND to go right.
Attend Anya鈥檚 Product Launch Party
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Mark your calendars for Anya鈥檚 upcoming on Tuesday, December 3. You鈥檒l get a first look at brand new apparel and totes! Hosted by Zayo Group, this party will feature:
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Speaker panel on How to Build Confidence
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Networking opportunity with Zayo Group, CU Boulder, and the local entrepreneurship community
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Product giveaways and contests!
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Food/drinks
to RSVP for the launch party. Can鈥檛 make the party? to learn more about the business and enter product giveaways. You can also .
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