One of UD’s newest student-run businesses, Flyer Gaming, is selling custom cornhole boards that keep Flyers social while social distancing.
Sophomore entrepreneurship major Dominic Ruffolo came up with the idea of Flyer Gaming earlier this year. He wanted to make something that would be fun to play but would also keep people safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. He pitched the project as part of his sophomore immersive entrepreneurship experience. As part of his major, he had the opportunity to launch Flyer Gaming as a micro-business on campus.
“It is an awesome experience because we get to take the business … in any direction we want, create marketing campaigns and handle the financials of the business,” Ruffolo said. “I’ve learned a ton about every aspect of business from this class.”
“I’ve learned a ton about every aspect of business from this class.”
Flyer Gaming beat out other business venture ideas in a class-held vote, officially approving it to become a business. Seven other pitches were also chosen between the two classes for sophomore entrepreneurship majors and were given $5,000 each to start up. After being selected, Ruffolo recruited Nicole Albesa and Alexis Goins, fellow entrepreneurship students, to join Flyer Gaming. With the team assembled, they began bringing the idea to life.
Entrepreneurship students in the program use the profits from their businesses to repay UD and occasionally help less-successful student businesses repay their loans. After repayment, Flyer Gaming intends to donate a portion of the proceeds to charity and then invest the rest into continuing Flyer Gaming beyond the scope of the class.
UD’s entrepreneurship program also provided the framework for one of the most successful UD student-run businesses, Handy Hats. The student who founded Handy Hats in 2016, Danielle Ruffolo ’19, is Dominic’s sister.
Flyer Gaming wanted students and alumni to be able to show their school spirit, so the team made the cornhole sets completely customizable.
“The boards can be customized with your favorite Flyer sport, club or former UD address, and [Flyer Gaming] even can create custom-designed boards with your company’s logo, family name, high school or other college logos,” he said.
“It is a great way to commemorate all of the great times alumni had at UD.”
Ruffolo said the handcrafted boards are made from furniture-grade wood and finished with a UV-protectant polyurethane topcoat. The team measures, cuts, assembles, paints, applies decals and seals every cornhole board. Each set is regulation size: 48 inches by 24 inches, as determined by the American Cornhole Association.
Because of its customization, the Flyer Gaming team believes its business has room to expand beyond the UD bubble. Ruffolo suggests alumni add their college street address to the board.
“It is a great way to commemorate all of the great times alumni had at UD,” he said.