Beta Student Entrepreneur Spotlight
- Jason Hagens
- Apr 15
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 16
In our Beta Entrepreneur Spotlight, we’re excited to feature Tristan Samuel Carter (WSU '28), founder of The Row Clothing Co. Tristan, an entrepreneurship and marketing major, saw a niche in creating high-quality, custom Greek apparel that lasts. His e-commerce business thrives on meaningful designs, to the point that he's spotted strangers wearing his work in other states! His advice? Don’t let fear stop you, just start. Tristan’s business future: scaling regional, then going nationwide. Only a sophomore at WSU, he used his Beta connections to grow his business. His first design and brand project was working on a Beta Brotherhood event that sold 50+ shirts. Ever since, the wheels have moved faster. From gigging it in Gig Harbor to playing volleyball on the lawn, meeting the 125 Betas that roam WSU has been key. Let's give this young entrepreneur some Beta respect. Today, we share his story with the Alumni, and let’s support The Row company, get Beta’s helping Beta’s, and keep this entrepreneurial spirit alive.
Tristan started a low-key apparel thing in Pullman Greek adjacent, but not the loud, neon kind. Think custom drops for formals, ski weekends, philanthropy runs, and dance floors. Small batch, chapter-specific, built to actually get worn. It’s basically one guy, a laptop, and good taste, with an independent LLC and a dream to build quality right. Using a clean e-commerce form and running his services through Shopify. Bulk orders, private links to apparel, and custom sizes reduce friction. Hoodies that don’t fall apart after one semester, but stand the test of parents’ weekend.
It’s called Row Clothing Company. Origin story is simple: freshman year, first philanthropy order for the Betas at Washington State University, and he just… kept going. Designed it, sourced it, shipped it full stack from day one. Tristan does all the design himself. No templates, no outsourcing the creative. Just a bias toward durability and pieces people keep in rotation for years, not weeks.
Examples of the Row Clothing Company @ work.
He’s pretty allergic to the whole fast fashion churn, cheap blanks, overseas shortcuts, disposable everything. The play here is slower, better, built-to-last. When he talks about products, the word that keeps coming up is durability. When he talks business, it’s even simpler: persistence. Not sexy, lots of bank calls, emails, random accounting rabbit holes, but stack enough consistent reps, and it compounds. Networks grow, opportunities arise, and the machine runs more smoothly alongside classes.
Advice to younger builders coming out of the Carson College of Business: stop overthinking and just ship. Ideas are cheap; timing isn’t. Money comes back. Ideas come back. This window doesn’t. Point the skis downhill and send it.
The Beta piece matters, too. About 125 guys, real relationships, lawn hangs, events, and actual dinner time where phones are down, and ideas get bounced around. It’s less “networking,” more “community that quietly fuels the thing.” A big shoutout to his roommate, Dylan Lee, the built-in sounding board, keeping it all grounded while things scale.
If you’re running an event or need a clean, custom drop, hit Tristen up on social or email. Keep it in the ecosystem: business with businesses, Betas with Betas.
Next challenge: scale without losing the feel. Move chapter by chapter, local to national, tighten the ops, automate the backend. Build a two-year runway at WSU, then either sell it or let it run lean without eating his life.
That’s the vibe. Beta Entrepreneur Spotlight, but make it understated.
Get Connected:
Tristan Carter
C. 206.777.5626
email. tristancarter@gmail.com
Other Places to connect and see:
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