A Michigan State University alumnus is looking to make sure every Spartan can wear green and white with pride.
Every Spartan is a new MSU-licensed apparel company that focuses on inclusive merchandising for the Spartan community, founded by Mo Gerhardt.
The brand sells both traditional and adaptive clothing, ensuring the same designs are accessible to all fans.
“I had never seen anything where both traditional and adaptive clothing were sold side by side, with the same designs,” Gerhardt said. “And that was where I really sort of took a leap of faith and applied for my licensing through MSU.”
Adaptive apparel is clothing designed to support a wide range of body types, abilities and access needs. Features that Every Spartan apparel could include are:
- Magnetic or Velcro closures
- Side or shoulder access points
- Seated-wear considerations
- Modified fits for mobility devices
- Sensory-friendly materials
“We’re thrilled to welcome Every Spartan to the MSU Licensing program whose focus on adaptive merchandise aligns so closely with our commitment to inclusivity," said Erika Austin, director of University Trademarks and Licensing. "This partnership represents an important step forward in ensuring our products are accessible to all fans, and we’re excited about the innovation and impact this collaboration will bring.”
Gerhardt has been a Spartan at heart his entire life. He grew up in Traverse City, and his parents are MSU alumni; attending MSU was his dream.
When he was a child, Gerhardt was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy and was even told that he’d be lucky to live beyond his teen years.
“That was pretty hard to fully grasp,” he said. “But what I always tell people is that I was blessed with amazing parents and the best brother, and they never really let me view that as an excuse but as a reason to do everything and anything I wanted to accomplish.”
Gerhardt now holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree from MSU. He also worked on campus for 15 years as an advisor and as a student-athlete liaison with the women’s basketball team.
But a health scare in 2019 shifted his plans. After he was hospitalized for five months — a period that included respiratory failure and time in the ICU — Gerhardt ended his time as an advisor to recover. And that’s when Gerhardt put his focus on his first business, Turtle Fox LLC, specializing in merchandising.
“My undergrad was in business administration . . . it was in my head to be my own boss,” he said. “So this was an opportunity . . . I’ve got the time and ability to focus and put every piece of energy into something.”
Making adaptive apparel was always something he had in mind and now Every Spartan is a division of his business, Turtle Fox.
“If I wanted Michigan State stuff, I’d have to buy it and then go and take it to a tailor or a seamstress and pay extra to have different adaptive features added in,” Gerhardt said. “I wanted to make it accessible for everyone to be able to have those opportunities.”
Gerhardt hopes Every Spartan starts a movement for more inclusive merch options at other universities.
“It’s going to have a huge impact for a community that is sort of overlooked when it comes to style,” he said.
The Every Spartan online store is live and open for orders.
