Spectrum News 1: Nick Nguyen balances business ownership with his studies

Finance major recently opened From The Sidewalk’s storefront in Over-the-Rhine

Nick Nguyen, BBA ’23, is gaining business knowledge from two different entities: the Carl H. Lindner College of Business and From The Sidewalk, his sneaker resale business.

Nguyen, who is pursuing a degree in finance, recently opened From The Sidewalk’s storefront operation in the downtown Cincinnati neighborhood of Over-the-Rhine to complement Sidewalk’s online shop. Nguyen immigrated from Vietnam with his family in 2019 and founded Sidewalk in November 2020.

“Three years later, I made that happen,” Nguyen told Spectrum News 1. “So, it’s a great moment to look back on.”

sneaker-wall-1

Nick Nguyen stands in front of the wall of sneakers for sale inside From The Sidewalk's storefront.

From The Sidewalk taps into a successful industry, as the sneaker and streetwear resale market are reportedly valued at north of $2 billion in North America.

“I walk around with a chip on my shoulder,” Nguyen said. “Every day I have to prove that I have something to bring to the table. I deserve to live a better life.”

Per the U.S. Census Bureau, Nguyen — just 22 years old — is part of the 6% of business owners under 35 in America. 

“I do reflect a little bit on the journey on what it has become and how fortunate I am to be in this position today,” Nguyen said. “Yeah, it’s surreal. Surreal’s the right word.” 

See more from Spectrum News 1.

Featured image: Nick Nguyen inside From the Sidewalk’s storefront in Over-the-Rhine. All photos by Gavin Vargas.

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