Yuktha Pulavarthi is a senior in the Eli Broad College of Business, where she is studying marketing with a minor in Entrepreneurship and Innovation. She has served as president of MSU Women in Entrepreneurship and as Campus Manager for Student-Made Michigan State. She is also a scholar in the Dashney Women’s Leadership Accelerator. Pulavarthi is the founder of macaronza!, a small-batch homemade macaron business.
I first got involved with the Burgess Institute through MSU Women in Entrepreneurship during my freshman year, while I was also enrolled in the entrepreneurship minor. Through the organization, I pitched at the WE annual fall pitch competition, which is where I met Lori Fischer. Lori played a key role in helping me get started in the Venture Kitchen. When the senior intern in that role graduated, I applied and stepped into the position during the spring semester of my freshman year.
Around the same time, Lori connected with Student-Made founder Lindsay Reeth about bringing Student-Made to MSU. Because I was already working in the Venture Kitchen managing a pop-up space in the Union, Student-Made felt like a natural next step and an exciting way to expand pop-up programming on campus. I joined as the events and partnership manager for Student-Made, where I hosted more than 20 pop-ups and helped build out MSU marketplaces. What started with just two markets at 1855 Place and the Kellogg Hotel has now grown to six locations across campus.
Some of my favorite experiences through the institute have come from the people I’ve met along the way. One standout moment was being invited to a lunch and learn with Ariana Ferwerda, founder of Halfdays. I went in not knowing much about her work, and I left completely inspired — she’s now one of my favorite entrepreneurs to follow. I also had the chance to meet Alexa Ryan, founder of Bakr, and it’s been incredible to watch her brand grow and thrive in the dessert industry.
I can confidently say that getting involved with the Burgess Institute has been the most impactful part of my college experience. It has shaped my growth through building my own business, connecting with founders and saying yes to opportunities that I never would have experienced otherwise. Those conversations and events truly changed the trajectory of my career.
Two moments that really pushed me outside of my comfort zone were the WE pitch competition and the Burgess New Venture Challenge. Both experiences challenged me in the best way and taught me more than I expected. Placing third in the WE pitch competition was the first time I truly felt like my small passion project could become something real.
After graduation, I plan to move to New York City to work as a marketing coordinator for a hybrid VC firm and marketing agency that partners with CPG brands I admire. I’m especially excited to continue learning in the startup CPG space. During my interview, my experience growing macaronza! stood out as a major talking point — it showed my passion for the industry and helped me stand out as a candidate. The company, Good Peeps, is a startup itself, and my time with Burgess and Student-Made helped me feel confident stepping into that kind of environment.
My advice to other entrepreneurial students is simple: If you’re thinking about starting a business, now is the time. You don’t have to commit forever, but taking that first step is the hardest part. So few ideas actually get acted on, and you never know where it might lead or what you’ll learn from the process.
Looking back, I came into MSU as someone who wasn’t very involved in high school, but I made a commitment to say yes to opportunities here. That decision shaped my entire college experience. I’m incredibly proud of everything I’ve been able to accomplish, and I know my support system at MSU will always be just a call, text or email away no matter where my career takes me.
This story originally appeared on the Burgess Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation website.
