Step into our dynamic Entrepreneurial Summer Internship (ESI) Program, where ten remarkable student teams are granted a transformative summer job opportunity. During the season, they will have the opportunity to unleash their entrepreneurial spirit, crafting businesses from scratch, and accessing top-tier mentors, educational workshops, and a generous stipend. Meet our entrepreneurs and discover what inspires them and fuels their journey.
Meet Madeline Noftle, Founder of The Starfish Studio
What does your company do?
The Starfish Studio creates nature-inspired art pieces typically made out of resin and pressed flowers. Our products are thoughtfully handmade to spread joy and create change through art. We sell our products on Etsy, at local markets, and retail stores across Canada, including at the Western Bookstore!
What drew you to entrepreneurship?
I have always had a creative and entrepreneurial spirit. I have such vivid memories of waking my friends up on a Saturday morning after a sleepover to help me sell friendship bracelets or lemonade on the side of the road.
For as long as I can remember, I have wanted to be an artist! Every day I run The Starfish Studio, I feel like living my childhood dream.
Elaborate on your business venture. What problem are you solving, and what is your unique approach?
The Starfish Studio is unique for many reasons, the most prominent and vital being our give-back model. For as long as the Starfish Studio has existed, I have committed 10% of my profits to be donated to the community. Most recently, this donation has been used to fund art classes I teach at Anova Women's Shelter. This is an integral part of my company for me, my brand, and my customers.
Additionally, many other small art businesses just focus on the art itself. The Starfish Studio focuses on the storytelling behind art and the mental health and well-being aspects of art. This is an especially important focus when I am teaching workshops and in the future when I introduce products such as colouring books. Lastly, the Starfish Studio has the competitive advantage of being accessible to many people. Implementing passive income streams into my business will allow me to have many product offerings at many different prices, making my art accessible to many people in a variety of financial positions.
The Starfish Studio creates nature-inspired art pieces made of resin and flowers across Canada. It is unique because of its give-back model. I commit 10% of my profits to the community, funding art classes at Anova Women's Shelter. We focus on the storytelling behind art and its mental health and well-being aspects, making art accessible to many people.
What are you hoping to accomplish over the summer at ESI?
While in the ESI program, I would like to develop and implement passive income streams into my existing art business. Creating new services and products, such as colouring books, online courses, workshops, art prints and clothing, would allow me to scale my art business in a way that is not closely tied to my time. Additionally, I want to improve the marketing and professionalism of my business by learning how to design and build a website, which would allow me to move away from selling my products on Etsy. Lastly, I look forward to building connections with like-minded entrepreneurial students!
If your business had a theme song, what would it be?
All my love, Noah Kahan (because all of our products are handmade with all my love... and because Noah Kahan is awesome)
Who is your biggest entrepreneurial inspiration?
My biggest Entrepreneurial inspiration is my mom. She is a blogger and inspires me every day with how she has created the life of her dreams through entrepreneurship. I greatly admire her and am so grateful to have someone as creative, hardworking, and free-spirited as her to show me what is possible.
I recommend the book Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert to any creative aspiring entrepreneur!