You may know Rice as a beautiful campus, with gardens, tree-lined streets, and sidewalks surrounded by hedges on all sides. But what happens when Rice students graduate and “step outside the hedges?” Many, from a variety of degree programs, have gone on to start their own businesses! This blog will detail some of my favorite businesses owned (or at least founded) by Rice alumni, focused mainly on products/services that interface directly with their consumers.
First on my list is Core360, a pilates studio owned by Amr Radwan ‘21. If you know me, you know that I start almost every day in this studio with uplifting and talented instructors and an aesthetic that makes you want to work hard and look good doing it. Inspired by his experience with colon cancer, and as a former college athlete, Radwan wanted to create a space for high-intensity, low-impact training to keep people healthy for as long as possible. I’d say he’s been successful in that endeavor.
Next up, and also in the fitness space, is Veloci, a running shoe company started by Tyler Strothman ‘25. Also a former college athlete, Strothman struggled with foot and lower leg pain driven by poor shoe design. This novel design combines a wide toe box so that your foot can maintain its natural shape, while still providing a high heel-toe drop that keeps your Achilles tendon and lower calf from over-extending. I originally bought these shoes for running, but now I’m wearing my old pair as my everyday shoes as well – they are just that comfortable.
Now moving into the food service industry, we’ve got burger-chan. This business was started by Willet ‘06 and Diane ‘07 Feng, and is now one of the best-known burger joints in the city of Houston, even competing in Good Morning America’s burger battle. These are classic burgers with twists inspired by Asian cuisine, and let me be the first to tell you, they taste incredible. 10 out of 10 for burger-chan.
Chòpnblọk is next on our list, and is another restaurant venture, this time taking a modern approach to West African cuisine. Opened in the POST Houston food hall in 2021 by Ope Amosu ‘14, Chòpnblọk quickly became a success. According to Amosu, it is his passion to connect over food, especially across cultures, that inspired him to open his restaurant, and as of 2025 has been named a James Beard Award semifinalist for best chef in Texas. His success and passion for his craft have allowed Chòpnblọk to expand into their own brick-and-mortar location in Montrose in late 2024.
For our final consumer product, we will talk about Houston’s own Saint Arnold Brewing Company. Proudly known as Texas’s oldest craft brewery, Saint Arnold’s was first sold in 1994 by Brock Wagner ‘87 and Kevin Bartol ‘81. While Bartol has since moved on to other roles across Houston, Wagner is still a proud owner and brewer. Whether it’s buying one of their beers in stores or visiting the beer garden, Saint Arnold’s is a favorite across Houston and Texas!
Of course, Rice is home to many start-ups, big and small, across industries. It’s easy to forget those that we as consumers don’t interface with, but I wanted to give a shoutout to 2 other businesses that I think are doing incredible work within their industries. Syzygy Plasmonics, a start-up spun out from the labs of Profs. Naomi Halas and Peter Nordlander was also co-founded by Suman Katiwada, PhD ‘14. Syzygy’s photocatalyst technology provides a platform for the decarbonization of chemical manufacturing processes, a crucial step in solving both our energy and climate crises. Additionally, a newer start-up, CoFlux Purification, was spun off from work in Profs. Rafael Verduzco and Pulickel Ajayan’s labs and co-founded with Alec Ajnsztajn ‘23, Jeremy Daum ‘25, and Dana Vazquez ‘24. Their goal is to mitigate the amount of forever chemicals (otherwise known as PFAS) in the environment through decontamination. As of March 2025, they have raised over half a million dollars of non-dilutive funding and are working to raise pre-seed funds.
Rice is an incredible ecosystem for entrepreneurs, combining new technology, field experts, and a supportive network. It is possible for students to dream big while at Rice. Some of the programs available include the Liu Idea Lab for Innovation and Entrepreneurship and the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship, both of which provide invaluable advice and also host massive competitions to earn money for your venture, not to mention connections to Rice alumni investors. Whether you’re interested in entrepreneurship or not, I hope that this guide can give you some new destinations and products to try out to support your fellow owls!
About the author:
Carly Graverson is from Milwaukee, WI, and is a current Ph.D. student in Chemistry. She got her B.S. in Chemistry from Lewis University in 2020. Read more.
Further Reading:
A One-Woman Adventure: Buns of Glory (This One is about Burgers)
From Scholar to Startup: Navigating Entrepreneurship as a Ph.D. Student at Rice University