Instead of applying to graduate school, hunting for a job or taking time off, two Baton Rouge natives fresh out of college decided to put their knowledge and skills to the test.
Dotted Tusk, an Indian-inspired clothing and accessory company, is the fashionable brainchild of 22-year-old entrepreneurs Angelle Alcock and Caroline Gladney, two best friends who have turned an idea into reality in three short months.
The business partners — Alcock from Clemson University and Gladney from the University of Alabama — hosted the Dotted Tusk Trunk Show in the Lod Cook Alumni Center on Saturday, showcasing and selling items they handpicked from Indian manufacturers.
Returning from a volunteer trip in New Delhi from March to May of this year, Alcock brought back scarves, jewelry and a passion for the culture. It wasn’t long until she and Gladney came up with a plan to bring similar items to Baton Rouge and beyond with a profitable enterprise.
 Alcock said creating a business right out of college was exciting, and students looking to do the same shouldn’t be afraid to get started.
“To be successful, you have to be OK with taking risks,” Alcock said. “It’s a big risk to say, ‘I’m not getting a job, I’m opening my own hands.”
Alcock, who holds a marketing degree, said she and Gladney want to donate part of the proceeds from Dotted Tusk to the charities they’ve worked with firsthand in New Delhi.
Working closely with a foreign country has been a challenge for the pair, who must navigate their business around foreign costs, laws and currency.
Gladney said they spent much time researching the markets in New Delhi to form a game plan for the trip to India.
“We spent hours beyond hours meeting people online, and they’ll e-mail you pictures of products so you know who they are and what they sell,” Gladney said. “They show you samples so you can customize and tailor the products. Then we’d also go and meet them in factories and warehouses so we got to see exactly where their stuff was coming company.”
 
____
Contact Morgan Searles at [email protected]