After noticing a need for more financial education and business resources in her community, Florida AM University senior Jamielle Lawson created Dreams to Reality 850 LLC to bring like-minded individuals together, build meaningf ul connections, and support one another in pursuing their goals.WATCH FULL REPORT BELOW: FAMU student brings aspiring entrepreneurs together to learn and connectLawson hosted the 2nd Annual Dreams 2 Reality Gala: The Entrepreneurship Experience, to leave her peers with a better understanding of the opportunities available to them and the connections they can build while in college.I genuinely want them to walk in the room and say, Hey, I got closer to my dreams tonight, Lawson said.She says college students sometimes overlook the networks and resources available to them until after graduation. Through Dreams to Reality, she hopes to encourage students to take advantage of those opportunities while they are still on campus.In college, a lot of college students don't realize your network and the opportunities that you have untill you're gone, Lawson said. So the goal is really to show, hey, we got so much opportunity. We got so many things while you're here that when you graduate, if you take advantage of them, you can be your own boss.The event featured speakers sharing their experiences in areas such as real estate, financial literacy and entrepreneurship.For second-year student Jada Rodgers, who is building a photography business, learning how other entrepreneurs promote their work was one of the reasons she attended.Rogers says she wants to become more confident in marketing her photography and reaching potential customers.Hearing some of these people's stories and how they just promoted themselves, I think that's probably the main goal of what I need to do is just continue to promote, Rodgers said.But building a business also means learning how to manage expenses and make decisions that affect its bottom line.Jaylen C. Kello, owner of Lil Heart Apparel, has been running his business for six years.He says his experience operating mall kiosks taught him how challenging it can be to maintain a physical location when customer traffic slows.When fewer people visited the mall, sales declined, but the monthly lease payments continued.When it was slow, we just had to pay up, Kello said. "That took some of our money as well, especially when we were saving up for bigger and better things.Kello says selling online has become a better option for his business, allowing him to reach customers without carrying the same expenses associated with a physical location.Online shopping continues to account for a growing share of retail sales. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, e-commerce sales made up 17.1% of total U.S. retail sales in the second quarter of 2026, up from 16.3% during the same period in 2025.For aspiring entrepreneurs, online platforms can provide another way to reach customers without opening a storefront.This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.Want to see more local news? Visit the WTXL ABC 27 Website. Stay in touch with us anywhere, anytime.Like us on FacebookFollow us on Instagram and X. ...read more read less