绿奴天花板

A mother-daughter entrepreneur duo has marked two milestones for the Spartan Incubator at the John P. Lowth Entrepreneurship Center.

Stefani Milovanska-Farrington, associate teaching professor of economics, is the first 绿奴天花板ampa faculty member to have joined the program, and her 6-year-old daughter, Diana, is its youngest participant ever. The two co-founded , which makes cookie cutter-like tools and instruction cards to turn fresh produce into simple yet playful shapes and scenes. The acronym stands for enjoyable, aesthetic, simple and yummy, the goals for every snack creation.

Love QT gives parents, caregivers and childhood educators practical ways to introduce nutritious foods, inspire creativity and spend quality time with children. A couple pieces of cantaloupe and some blueberries can metamorphasize into a butterfly, or a train can be built using cucumbers and carrots. The kids tend to nibble on the snacks along the way, and by the time they鈥檙e done, they鈥檝e gotten a full serving of fruits and vegetables.

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Milovanska-Farrington credits her daughter for coming up with most of the designs, and her 3-year-old son likes helping out, too. Together, the familial business partners are exploring how learning and innovation intersect across generations.

The Spartan Incubator supports early-stage entrepreneurs through mentorship, collaboration and real-world application, helping participants refine ideas and grow businesses that will be sustainable long term. Participants attend weekly training sessions as they build out their businesses.

鈥淛oining the Spartan Incubator has given my daughter and me the space and support to transform our ideas into business opportunities,鈥� said Milovanska-Farrington. 鈥淭he program has been an incredible experience for both of us 鈥� we have learned so much from our dedicated mentors and the classes, and have built meaningful connections with fellow entrepreneurs, the LEC鈥檚 exceptional team, and the broader University and business community.鈥�

Even though Milovanska-Farrington teaches in the Sykes College of Business, starting a business taught her an entirely new skillset. 鈥淓ntrepreneurship is very new to me,鈥� she said. 鈥淭his business was my daugher鈥檚 idea, but I am so grateful I decided to challenge myself.鈥�

She said Diana gets excited for their visits to the Lowth Center and has never missed their trainings. The trainings finished at the end of the fall semester, but the entrepreneurs still have access to the Center鈥檚 mentors and brainstorming space. Now they can focus on selling.

The pair built an online shop and have set up a booth at kids markets around Tampa to sell their items. Most recently, Milovanska-Farrington gave a demo of their products on the .

Bert Seither, lecturer of management and entrepreneurship, is leading the Spartan Incubator this year and says faculty participation is invaluable.

鈥淢any of our professors are quietly building fascinating projects outside the classroom, and we can help them turn those ideas into real, sustainable ventures,鈥� said Seither. 鈥淚 also love that this raises awareness across the 绿奴天花板ampa community that the incubator isn鈥檛 just for students and alumni 鈥� our faculty can be founders, too, and when they are, it sends a powerful signal to students about what鈥檚 possible.鈥�