Entrepreneurship Seminar Inspires On-campus Startup

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Isaac Hershenson ’24 (CS & math) and Kevin Box ’24 (engineering) pitch their idea, perfect it and provide unique pizzas to hungry students.

Two students place toppings on a pizza next to a pizza oven.
Hershenson says he and Box were inspired to launch Slice of North by the Entrepreneurship seminar led by Professor Kash Gokli (engineering professor and director of entrepreneurship initiatives), a little inspiration from Hershenson’s mom and an interest in bringing the HMC community together in a fun way.
A pizza oven heats up as a student in the background prepares a pizza.
After pitching the idea in class and perfecting the plan, the duo bought a pizza oven and decided to “go for it.” They perfected their business model during 2022 before opening Slice of North and beginning to serve pizzas that fall.
A laughing student prepares dough in an outside setting.
Box is the mastermind behind Slice of North’s special pizza toppings.
A pizza cooks in an outdoor pizza oven.
Hershenson and Box serve a new pizza each Friday evening beginning at 8 p.m. and sell it by the slice, half pie or full pie. They take pre-orders through a Google form, and all payments are made on Venmo. They use 100% fresh ingredients and bake the pizzas in a 100% wood oven. They create unique flavor combinations that Jay’s Place does not offer.
A student prepares to insert a pizza in an outdoor pizza oven.
The business partners face their challenges—keeping the pizza oven hot, keeping track of orders, making sure the dough is proofed enough—with professionalism. “Every week we debrief what went right and wrong and are always looking to improve the business and our pizza-making skills,” says Hershenson.
Pizza with cheese and tomatoes.
The Slice of North entrepreneurs are focused on creating a weekly congregation of the HMC community and providing delicious pizzas. Hershenson says, “We have increased our profit each week, and our end goal is to break even on the down payment for the pizza oven.”