Four classmates, friends since their freshman year at Oral Roberts University, are launching an effort they describe as “unique and disruptive” to help students begin their careers now, while still in college, and even become prepared to start their own businesses.

Sky Ventures is a student-led organization that will promote ORU’s culture of collaboration and innovation on campus, according to the founders: finance senior Hayden Guenzler, finance senior Daniel Marques, marketing senior Isaiah Sparkman and business junior Drew Formsma. The platform will provide students with critical resources and relationships, build common ground to try out new skills in business, and make an impact in the real world, they said.

Before starting Sky Ventures, Marques and Guenzler created a business journal called M&G. This idea came in fall 2021 after they found out about a publication called Morning Brew, a business and finance journal.

Guenzler and Marques, finance juniors at the time, decided to create something similar to Morning Brew, but for students. Their newsletter covered the job market around the world, along with interviews with business people and executives.

They also promoted events in Tulsa with students and business people from all over the country. And after these events drew large audiences, Marques and Guenzler decided to create something bigger where students could not just hear about the business world but learn about in practice. It was the birth of Sky Ventures.

Sky Ventures is composed for four programs, including the Accelerator Nest and the Eagles Venture Capital program.

The Accelerator Nest, led by Guenzler, is a 13-week program in which students will learn how to build a startup from scratch.

“I would love to see students passionate about what they do, and not just to be a burden to be involved in something,” said Guenzler, who will graduate this semester. “I actually enjoy solving problems, building community and knowledge. In the past, I had to do that for myself, which brought me a lot of passion, a lot of close friends, and fulfillment. And I’m excited to see this ORU network grow, especially with the alumni.”

Meanwhile, the Eagles VC, led by Marques, will provide students hands-on experience investing real money in startups that will be developed during the program.

Sky Ventures is also promoting a branding initiative called Sky View, led by Sparkman, to offer students the chance to produce and distribute media content, such as podcasts and newsletters, across various platforms.

“Short- term goal is to see Sky Ventures get established on campus as a presence, and people buy the vision and learn what we are doing,” he said. “The students are the center of everything, so we are trying to provide opportunities.”

The fourth Sky Ventures imitative, led by Forsma, will build connections between current students and alumni through events on and off campus.

Each of the four programs under Sky Ventures will have four directors, Guenzler, Marques, Sparkman, and Formsma, and 16 executives under them.

For more information about Sky Ventures, visit skyv.org.