Charlotte Denoyer, '15

Charlotte Denoyer, ’15, knows the food business. Her father is a New York-based French restaurateur and her mother is, according to Denoyer, “one of the best bakers I know.” With a double major in business administration and leadership studies, Denoyer hopes to follow in her parents’ footsteps.

She shared, “My concentration is in management, and I’m pursuing the entrepreneurship track, a subject in which I’ve always been interested. When I was in middle school, my friends and I held bake sales outside of my house, where we raised a lot of money for charity while having a lot of fun. In high school, my friend and I stuck with it, starting a small dessert company that catered to our teachers and friends. These ventures helped my realize I wanted to pursue a career in hospitality.”

In the spring of 2014, Denoyer took New Venture Creation with former Robins School professor Jeff Pollack. “He asked us all to start a business. My classmate Sarah Stewart, ’14, and I teamed up and started a fudge company called Filanthropic Fudge. Our model was that 10 percent of our sale price would be donated to the charity of the buyer’s choice. When we work with a charity directly, they receive 20 percent of the sale price.”

She added, “We were able to work with Dr. Pollack very closely as we developed the business. He gave us a lot of great feedback, and he was also one of our biggest customers. As a result of his and the school’s support, we’ve been able to raise two hundred dollars for charity, and we have hopes of growing the business in the future.”

As part of her entrepreneurship track, she took innovation and entrepreneurship last fall with Eric Martin, director of the innovation and entrepreneurship program and founder of 80amps. “He has also been a really great resource in terms of advice and guidance. He really opened up his firm to his students by letting us visit and observe the daily operations of the business. I hope to continue working with Professor Martin throughout my last semester to expand my understanding of entrepreneurship as much as possible.”

Denoyer has worked hard to gain real-world experiences to support her goals. In the summer before her junior year, she traveled to Australia for a marketing internship with Pacific Restaurant Group. “I expanded my knowledge of restaurant management that summer, specifically in marketing. I had the great opportunity to develop a word-of-mouth campaign involving a secret menu as a way to give back to the most loyal customers, and I also gave a presentation on children’s food in the U.S. with the goal of developing more interesting children’s food options in their restaurants.”

This past summer, she interned with St. Christopher’s Summer Institute on Leadership and Public Service as the assistant director of the program, which brought together high school students to learn about food in Richmond. “This year’s theme was ‘From Field to Fork.’ We visited the recycling center, the wastewater treatment plant, Positive Vibe Café, organizations like FeedMore and grocery stores like Ellwood Thompson’s to learn about the many ways Richmond sustains itself. We farmed at Shalom Farms, toured Polyface Farms and began to see the scale of Richmond’s many food accomplishments.” 

Denoyer looks toward her future following graduation. “I’ve accepted a position as part of the New York corps of Teach For America. It’s an exciting new adventure, and I value the opportunity to make a difference in my home city.” 

She concluded, “I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur from the start, and I came to the Robins School knowing this is one of the country’s top business schools. Being a member of Alpha Kappa Psi, taking part in the Q-camp Process and serving as a Q-ambassador, I’ve been able to develop myself as a strong professional. I’ve experienced great events like the Business Pitch Competition and learned from amazing professors. The Robins School really helped me define my entrepreneurial path around social-mindedness, and I hope to pursue my career in hospitality directed toward that social aspect. I look forward to embarking on this journey in the coming years.”