Born in Costa Rica to Cuban-born immigrants and raised in Grand Island, Nebraska, junior Carlos Ferrer Moya always wanted to have a business. Becoming a business administration major and exploring entrepreneurship was a logical step heading into college. Now, with a business set to launch next year, he hopes to become an entrepreneur who makes an impact on his community and its future. Celebrating National Hispanic Heritage Month, we celebrate Huskers like Ferrer who are making an impact on campus.

What drew you to your major, particularly entrepreneurship? Is there anything you hope to do through entrepreneurship?

Choosing business administration was more of a soft land way to enter college. In truth, my story tells a tale of finding your way through action. For the first few years, I had no idea what I was doing or no long-term answer to the typical question, “What do you want to do?” I always had ideas, but never did anything stick. "Just don’t fail" was what drove me from my first year to the present.

In my sophomore year of college, I had a class with Andrew Hanna, assistant professor of management and Seacrest Teaching Fellow, and he was a major driving force to doing something I love. I hold on to so many teachings from Professor Hanna. To this day, I will go to his office and chat.

I always wanted to have a business. The majority of people have enough financial burdens that they brush off to the youth as “that will make you a lot of money” or “there is no money in that, don’t do it.” Entrepreneurship is the spirit of saying screw all that, I want this to exist and then making it.

Talk about your involvement with the Inclusive Business Leaders program.

The Inclusive Business Leaders was a great program for freshmen! I was in Cohort 1, which I’m sure means that today the program is completely different. Kasey Linde, director of teaching, learning and accreditation, was the head of the program, and she did amazing in working with us. I was going through so much internally as I felt lost my freshman year. I remember Kasey being a helping hand during that time.

You and your teammate Cheyenne Prentice won a Thomas G. Guy Startup Team Award during the university's New Venture Competition. What was your business and what did you learn?

During my junior year, I met Cheyenne Prentice (international business major from Pleasant Dale, Nebraska), and from the jump, we got along extremely well. She was the one who brought up being a part of the Center for Entrepreneurship's New Venture Competition in April 2024. Her idea is called Bakers Batter, edible cake batter! While baking cakes in her childhood with her family, she would lick the beaters after whipping some cake batter. With a knack for entrepreneurship, she thought others might want this, too. For the New Venture Competition, we did market testing and it did end up being a thing people were really interested in. Cheyenne and I have been partners ever since, and I have to thank her for pushing me to do better things, things that matter.

Pitching to industry professionals was an incredibly boundary-pushing and humbling experience. Being in a room of people who make the world go around was surreal, and I knew I wanted to be in this environment. Being in a space like that, where every single person around you is doing things to change their community, is extremely inspiring. Motivation will only take you so far, and being in that environment drives you to take the next step, showing you that the only limit that truly exists is yourself. These people have been broke, in debt, wealthy, and successful, but what shone through all was these people were excited and doing what they loved!

The New Venture Competition was the first thing to completely change my mindset on college. It was a revolutionary experience and I’m just glad to have been a part of it.

What drew you to be part of the new Nebraska Entrepreneurship Accelerator program?

The Entrepreneurship Accelerator program was a sequel to the New Venture Competition in my life. I was invited into this program that allows you to be in the same environment I described above but with people who haven’t made it yet. Rolling with the punches just like you! Through the program I hope to gain knowledge from my peers and connections that will last a lifetime.

In March, through a random connection, I met with the CEO of Cuemotion, Andy Seiler. Andy has been my mentor in the career field I have fallen in love with: film production. I want to help people tell their stories. Andy took me in and treated me like family, teaching me 15+ years of experience every single shoot day. I have to thank Andy with all my heart as he has helped me shape myself in an industry that is often unforgiving.

After working in this industry, around May we were asked to join the Entrepreneurship Accelerator and I was faced with the choice of joining Cheyenne in her venture or going off on my own.

The dream was to build a production studio like Cuemotion called Speakeasy Visuals. I am so happy to have the opportunity to follow this passion. Starting the Entrepreneurship Accelerator I literally had nothing just “Speakeasy” as the name. In around three weeks of hard work, Speakeasy Visuals is now a reality. A registered LLC, website and socials. All due to launch in 2025.

Speakeasy's Value Statement: “At Speakeasy Visuals, we believe in the power of exclusivity and authenticity. We are committed to nurturing original voices and creating films that defy trends and mass consumption. Our core values are innovation, artistic freedom and delivering stories that leave a lasting impression on both creators and audiences alike.”

Is there anything you hope to accomplish in your lifetime?

In truth, people who are born 500 years from now will not care about what Carlos Ferrer did back in the 2020s to 2070s. I want to be a beam of inspiration and love for those around me. Show them that happiness and kindness are unconditional. With capital, I hope to make donations towards charities and to develop projects that help others. A huge inspiration for this is Mike Smith from The Bay. Mike represents helping your community right now to make an impact on our future.

What or who inspires you?

My inspirations come from my parents who have always provided an incredible support system for everything I have ever done. Their sacrifices have never gone unnoticed and their drive to bring all of us to a new country have taught me so much about life. My parents are Cuban-born immigrants who moved to Costa Rica (where I was born) and then to the U.S. in 2011. Their efforts allowed us to live a quality of life that would have been a mere dream otherwise. I want to thank Carlos and Mayelin for 100% believing in me, and for providing such incredible opportunities for our family.

I am also inspired by Cheyenne Prentice, Mike Smith, my friends and I thank the Nebraska Center for Entrepreneurship team — Mallory Krenk, Samuel Nelson, Amanda Metcalf, Samantha Fairclough, Andrew Hanna and Lindsay Thomsen — for the opportunities that you are providing for students like myself to thrive while in college.

What is your advice to other students looking to make an impact on campus?

I would tell them to do something you care about during your stay at the university. In truth this is just a “stay,” a mere four years of our lives that will go by. Do something you love while here, if you hate it, it will not last forever. If you love it, it will not last forever.

Have fun, be safe, but please do something — anything — because usually that gets something rolling and you will find yourself somewhere you did not expect to be.