College entrepreneur Jennifer Connor is now the Mustard Girl

What do college entrepreneurs do after they close up shop on their first business? They start another one of course! Jennifer Connor started a cowbell company called MerryBelles while still a student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her cowbells not only became a regular for Badgers football games, but after landing a booth selling at the Republican National Convention, one of her bells earned a spot in the Smithsonian.

Leaving her noisemakers behind, Connor has moved on to a different sense: tastebuds. She started selling mustards in 2007 under the name, Mustard Girl.

After making a go of her first entrepreneurial effort while still in college, Connor was ready for another business adventure which took root during her collegiate days in Madison. She heard that her favorite local mustard farmer had put his recipes on the market.

When she approached him about purchasing his mustard business, he was wary of selling to her because of her art history degree. Connor said she was discouraged and looking for a sign when she heard a Sunday sermon about the seed.