The DNA of a Saluki is inherently gritty. Not the dog, the graduates who come out of Southern Illinois University--many of them leave campus with more than just a set of skills to be competent on the job. They’ve acquired the kind of experience and attitude that makes them unafraid to chart paths where none previously existed.
The SIU Alumni Association is about to launch the Saluki Market, a platform that was born out of our alumni’s interest in sharing what their 9-to-5s—or 5-to-9s—are all about. We’re proud to say that, out of the gate, the founding vendors on this digital storefront represent Salukis who are chronically out-of-the-box thinkers and driven to make their own success with products they back with the full faith and credit of what they have learned becoming Salukis.
This entrepreneurship goes deeper than the storefront, however. Every year, students use their time on campus to hone skills and build networks that serve them in a number of different industries.
From Roommates to Co-Founders
When Allen C. Shelton and Desmon Walker met at their freshman orientation in April 2012, neither imagined they’d one day co-found a successful marketing firm together. But that’s the beauty of SIU: it doesn’t just educate—it transforms. What began as a chance encounter between two first-generation students navigating the unfamiliar rhythms of college life has since grown into a full-fledged partnership, both in business and in purpose.
For Shelton, a communication studies major, SIU wasn’t initially on his radar—but once he set foot on campus, he felt an immediate connection. “I didn’t have the grades or accolades right away,” he said. “But when I got to SIU, I felt like I had already been there. The culture, the people—it just spoke to me.”
That early sense of belonging set the tone for a deeply immersive college experience, one he dove into with characteristic intensity. From becoming a Resident Assistant to getting involved in student organizations, Shelton saw every opportunity as a chance to lead—and to grow.
Walker’s entry into SIU came through the university’s Center for Academic Success, a provisional program that gave him the boost he needed to get started.
“SIU chose me,” he said. “It was the only school I applied to. But from the moment I arrived, I knew I was in my element.”
Though the path wasn’t easy, Walker embraced the challenge. “That first day, I developed a chip on my shoulder—in the best way. They told us, ‘This is your shot. Take it or go home.’ I decided right then I was moving forward, no matter what.”
Their friendship deepened as fraternity brothers in Alpha Phi Alpha, roommates, and eventually coworkers in organizations like the Undergraduate Student Government and the Student Programming Council. They honed their voices in those spaces, learned to lead meetings, pitch ideas, organize events, and move people—all foundational skills for the business they would eventually launch.
That business, Narratent, officially opened in 2019. But as Shelton puts it, “It was born long before that—in the sweat equity we were putting in on campus.” Their first big project? A website for a nonprofit, built from scratch with skills Allen taught himself. From there, their momentum never stopped.
Narratent has grown into a nimble, imaginative marketing firm with a gift for finding what’s unique in every client and amplifying it. Their portfolio includes major projects for nonprofits, underrepresented entrepreneurs, and even Beyoncé’s former dance captain. They’ve partnered with their alma mater, too, providing services for the SIU Foundation in a full-circle moment that reminds them both just how far they’ve come.
What sets their work apart is the same thing that set them apart as students: the drive to do more.
“College teaches you that the bare minimum is never enough,” said Walker. “It’s not just about grades. It’s about what you’re building while you’re there.” And they’re still building—brick by brick, client by client, campaign by campaign.
“The most fun part?” Shelton added. “Every day is different. You get to take ideas from your head and make them real. Even on the frustrating days, I ask myself—what else would I rather be doing?”
For both men, Narratent is more than a business—it’s a living story about growth, grit, and possibility. And at its heart is a friendship, forged in Carbondale, that continues to shape the way they see the world, and how they help others see theirs.
From Campus to Curated Fashion
Lauren Craig graduated from SIU in 2006 with a degree in fashion and design. During her time on campus, she turned her passion into action by launching a business where she designed, manufactured, and sold handmade handbags -- a venture that gave her experience in both the creative and business sides of her industry. Her sorority sisters in Delta Zeta even had a nickname for her: "The Kate Spade of SIU."
After graduating, Craig worked in various jobs before starting her own business, Eccentrics Boutique, which operates both online and in a storefront in Southern Illinois. Over the last 14 years, she has been happy to share her knowledge with her alma mater, collaborating with students to learn the ins and outs of the ever-evolving fashion industry.
Craig says SIU was instrumental in helping her learn how to run a successful business with heart and authenticity.
Eccentrics Boutique has also become one of the inaugural vendors for the SIU Alumni Association's Saluki Market.
Expanding on a Revolution
Even after a breakthrough product, some Salukis don't stop. Case in point: Curt Jones. The 1981 graduate of SIU's microbiology program took the science behind freeze-drying food and turned it into the revolutionary novelty product known as Dippin' Dots.
Opening his first storefront in Lexington, Kentucky in 1988, Jones turned Dippin' Dots into a multi-million-dollar business, popular with kids and adults across the nation. After selling the business in 2012, Jones didn't stop iterating.
In 2016, he and his daughter, Tracey (who was only five years old when Dippin' Dots launched) started the 40 Below Company, which started selling frozen beads of coffee and has since expanded into other products, like fruits and high protein whey, as well as mixtures for frozen margaritas, daiquiris, and pina coladas.
While founding his latest venture, Jones decided to once again bring opportunity to the place he grew up - Southern Illinois.
40 Below Company is a research and brand development company, as well as a manufacturer, located at the Dunn-Richmond Center at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. 40 Below has developed several brands; 40 Below Joe™, 40 Below Desserts™, Island Rox®, The Fruity Whey™, and Whey to Go™. These five similar, but very different products, are all cryogenically frozen and are comparable in appearance to Dippin’ Dots®.
40 Below plans to be a global leader in the beaded frozen dessert and drinks industry while creating jobs and building the economy of southern Illinois. The company has also signed on as one of the first vendors on the Saluki Market, making their products directly available to SIU alumni.
SIU alumnus Curt Jones and his first breakthrough product, Dippin' Dots ice cream.
I'm not Afraid of Failure
Michael Jessup '96, director of the Illinois Small Business Development Center, doesn't view future generations with apprehension. In them, he sees the kind of ideas and ambition that are destined to make waves in industry and perhaps even change the world. He advises the Saluki Entrepreneur Corps, a student group that has existed on campus in some form or fashion since the late 1980s, but today facilitates a number of networking and learning opportunities for young people eager to make their own way in life and business.
"You are talking to students who are looking beyond the 9-to-5 and what they can get out of life," Jessup said. "They're not just resigned to heading down a single path. I love these guys have the energy to take chances, to work with other students like that."
There is no shortage of ideas in Southern Illinois. Jessup says the SBDC has 1,300 active clients who are at some stage of starting or expanding a business. In the first half of 2025 alone, he's seen nearly 400 ideas.
"The university allows for great interaction and finding resources with subject matter experts and different individuals who can offer advice," Jessup said. "We take the educational side and mix it with the entrepreneurial side. Students are learning to do the things they want to do, and businesses are interacting with different individuals to find out who their next possible clients are."
Erik Galu is currently the president of the Saluki Entrepreneur Corps. He's a senior studying automotive technology with a minor in accounting. A native of Romania, Galu moved to the Chicago area before coming to SIU. He was interested in cars and figured his path would be one doing more mechanical work on automobiles.
He was introduced to Saluki Entrepreneur Corps through an email that landed in his student inbox. After attending the first meeting, the possibilities about his future began to open up to him.
"I fell in love with the whole mindset of entrepreneurship, the networking part of it too," Galu said. "I look forward to going into a room, meeting people and finding out what their passion is all about, what kinds of skills they have."
SIU was a mental reset for Galu.
"I'm not afraid of failure at all," he said. "I embrace it. I will be the guy who asks the billionaire in the room to mentor me. The worst he can say is no, but if he says yes, imagine what I could do!"
Galu has started his own project, Brikk Built, which offers custom LEGO-style sets tailored to personal interests. Galu is testing a couple of sets centered around his side interest of weight-lifting.
Logan Angus, vice president of SEC, is a finance major specializing in real estate from Antioch, Illinois. His side business is subcontracting roofing sales, something he sees as preparing him for a career in real estate investment. He didn't initially plan to go to a four-year university, but arrived at SIU thanks to his girlfriend.
Angus encountered SEC at a student organization fair. Being part of the community gave him the energy and inspiration to take advantage of the networking opportunities.
"College isn't just for getting a job, it's about opportunity, it's the birthplace of it," Angus said. "The way I look at it, I will always choose freedom over safety. If I fall on my face five times, at least it was my choice. I don't like being put in boxes, I'll forge my own path. Failure is just part of the game for me. You're going to run into headaches and pain points, but it's required to get anywhere worthwhile."
Nick Knappenburger of the SIU Alumni Association conducted interviews and contributed information to this article.