Christina Zhu is the founder of GradWYSE, an academic regalia business that began in 2015. As a graduate student from Old Dominion University, Christina realized how expensive academic regalia was and thought of the brilliant idea of creating her own business providing students with graduation supplies for commencement at reduced costs. In 2015, she founded GradWYSE with the help of ODU's Strome Entrepreneurial Center.
This company is also known for the original and artistic handmade graduation cap toppers. Christina has utilized the Monarch Way Store at ODU, located in the Webb Student Center where she currently sells cap toppers as well as accessories such as glass rings and bracelets. GradWYSE is listed as the #1 top-seller for the multinational online shopping platform, Amazon for cap decoration and academic regalia (Click HERE). You can also find her products on Ebay or her website: Onceuponatime.
For aspiring entrepreneurs: Christina's main advice for those starting their own business is to NEVER GIVE UP. Although whenever you start your own business, you end up facing challenges you never thought would happen, you need to move forward and fight for your dreams, with hard work and dedication things will eventually turn out good.