Tobin Brenner (he/him)

3 Degrees

Tobin graduated in 2023, majoring in PitE with a business minor. Tobin joined 3 Degrees, an organization that works with fraternities, sororities, and co-ops on campus to implement personalized waste-reducing initiatives and educate members of these entities about the importance of eco-friendly practices. By selling affordable compostable products bought in bulk, 3 Degrees aims to challenge the idea that sustainable practices are expensive and inaccessible. Tobin was a Cohort IX fellow and was the SIC mentorship lead at optiMize.

Visit the 3 Degrees Instagram to learn more

My sophomore year I was elected sustainability chair for my social fraternity, Delta Tau Delta, and quickly noticed how ineffective and unsustainable waste management was. After noticing this, I teamed up with other motivated students who noticed this same issue and wanted to address it. We researched local compost kitchenware providers and understood that this switch from single-use plastics/paper products to 100% compostable kitchenware was feasible with the right support structure and education, and 3 Degrees wanted to be that support.

optiMize helped us hone in on our mission, connected us with invaluable mentorship, and surrounded us with a community of supportive peers. We came into the challenge with an idea of the impact we wanted to have on campus, but without a prototype or any advertising/marketing campaign. After the challenge, we not only fleshed out these facets of our business, but also had enough funding to allow our team to make the impact we had hoped to make.

My favorite part about optiMize is the welcoming and diverse community it engages at UM. I have met some of my closest friends through this organization and feel that optiMize really emphasizes the importance of having a close-knit group you can truly rely on. Every member has treated me with respect and honesty throughout the challenge and I don't think there's a closer community on campus!

My biggest piece of advice for participants going through the challenge is to not worry if you don't have a fully fleshed out business plan when you begin. All teams start at different stages and optiMize has a unique way of effectively working with teams, regardless of if the project is just an idea or if it is already making revenue. Come motivated and ready to pursue your mission but don't be discouraged when you see other teams "ahead" of you. We are all in this together!