Jonalie Zamora and Elliot Russell mean business — and not just “business” in the classroom sense.
In between classes and study sessions, seniors-turned-recent-graduates Zamora and Russell are running real-world companies as successful entrepreneurs.
Zamora, who studied marketing and information systems, has a knack for infusing business practices with creativity — an approach she’s practiced since she began selling crafts at the age of seven. Fast forward 15 years, and Zamora is the recipient of the 2026 Beta Gamma Sigma Outstanding Senior Award, named a 2026 Poets&Quants Best & Brightest Business Major, and the creator of crochet brand Little Artsy Aloe. Not only is Zamora the mind behind the viral Surprise Bouquet Blanket™, but she has sold over 15,000 crochet patterns and products to date.
“The biggest lesson I’ve learned from studying business is that success relies on a healthy balance between thinking inside and outside of the box — finding the balance between rigid methodologies and creative chaos,” Zamora says. “We can learn a lot from following the frameworks established by those before us, but businesses reach a unique level of success when they add twists to the frameworks that leverage their brand strengths and support their missions. There’s something beautiful that emerges when you combine a systematic approach with the right amount of creativity.”
Where Zamora fuels creativity, Russell feeds the community. Inspired by his mother’s French lineage, Russell recalls fond memories of delicious meals and mouthwatering ingredients filling his childhood kitchen. His love for good food followed him to college, where he experimented with recipes and gleaned feedback from a sounding board or roommates.
“I have a diverse group of friends and have been exposed to ethnic foods from all over the world,” says Russell. “Once they started comparing my sandwiches to their moms’ cooking, I knew I had something special.”
The marketing and information systems major’s entrepreneurial journey began when he purchased a flattop grill pushcart, hosting barbeques for local youth and friends before hitting the streets to sell smash burgers on weekends. Today, Russell is the founder of Good Eats Sandwiches, the first student-run food vendor to officially partner with Marquette. He’s also the driving force behind Everybody Eats, an initiative that provides free meals to refugees and others in low-income neighborhoods.
“I have always loved feeding people, and it’s a big pillar of my faith to look out for the less fortunate,” says Russell. “My goal was never to turn a huge profit, but to make enough to be able to give free meals to those in need. This is what drove me to start Everybody Eats — it brings me joy to see the genuine smile on people’s faces when they enjoy food. Food brings people together in special ways.”
While pursuing undergraduate degrees, Zamora and Russell have found their recipe for success: a heaping scoop of personal passion mixed with generous portions of business acumen and on-campus resources.
“My business classes have always been very hands-on, whether we’re breaking down use cases, examining case studies of success, or even roleplaying,” says Zamora. “These facets of Marquette’s education have taught me skills you can’t learn in a textbook, such as communication, collaboration and critical thinking, as well as provided me opportunities to practice and apply what I’ve learned. Learning to work with people who have different perspectives and skills is an ability I believe to be important in any industry.”
Both Zamora and Elliott have tapped into the applied programs offered through the 707Hub, an on-campus innovation center and startup incubation site, including the Brewed Ideas Challenge pitch competition and Student-Made Marquette, for which Zamora is the website manager. Additionally, Marquette ensures students interested in the entrepreneurial space are well connected with the broader off-campus community. Events like the Marquette Invitational pitch competition and the Founder Finder offer impactful opportunities for students to engage with the thriving entrepreneurial network in the Milwaukee area.
“Marquette does a great job of providing students with a wide variety of opportunities to learn from professionals and alumni,” Russell says. “From pitch competitions to networking events to expert faculty who are more than willing to help, I have felt supported each step of the way both in and out of the classroom.”
Post graduation, Russell plans to pursue a full-time career in business, continue running Good Eats Sandwiches and provide meals to community members in need. In addition to growing Little Artsy Aloe, Zamora will step into a full-time management consultant role at Accenture.
