Entrepreneur gives back, a bagel at a time
After all the support he received from the University community, Alex Brandwein feels an obligation to pay it forward.
Alex Brandwein left UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School in May 2020 with two big accomplishments: an MBA and a lease for a bagel shop a few blocks from campus. Five years later, the founder of Brandwein’s Bagels is back on campus in all kinds of ways. He helps welcome new graduate students, pops up at Grad Café events with bagels and coffee, and shares what he’s learned about starting a business with students in The Graduate School’s Master of Applied Professional Studies program.
Brandwein says giving back feels natural because UNC was pivotal in helping him find his calling. After several years working in finance, he arrived at Kenan-Flagler to explore what might come next. By graduation, the bagel shop idea that had long been on his mind had become a real company. His Carolina experience –– from faculty mentors who opened doors, classmates who workshopped ideas and local business owners who offered advice –– shaped his career and informs how he shows up now.
Brandwein arrived at Kenan-Flagler with a background in real estate, expecting to continue down that path. He recalls sitting down with Jim Spaeth, a Kenan-Flagler faculty member with expertise in real estate finance, and saying he was thinking of going in a different direction.
“In an instant, he grabbed a yellow legal pad and said, ‘Cool, what are you interested in?’ And it’s been like that ever since,” Brandwein said. “That’s the reason why I started and stayed in Chapel Hill. It’s because of the people. People here will go out of their way for you.”
After all the support he received from the University community, Brandwein feels an obligation to pay it forward.
“We’re involved in as many ways as we can be,” he said. It can be as small as donating bagels to a club event, or as big as making hundreds of Carolina blue bagels to hand out on the first day of classes, as Brandwein and his team did this fall at the Old Well alongside Chancellor Lee Roberts.
Bagels and coffee supplied by Alex Brandwein’s Chapel Hill bagel shop help give Carolina graduate students a space to unwind and connect at Grad Café. (Kelly McDaniel/The Graduate School)
Brandwein’s support also takes the shape of sharing hard-won lessons. He has been a guest speaker for classes in Kenan-Flagler and several other UNC schools. This fall, he will give a guest lecture for MAPS students on starting a business, covering topics like defining a problem, understanding a market, differentiating a product and making a successful pitch. It’s the practical, step-by-step version of his own path, distilled for students who are weighing ideas of their own.
Brandwein is proud that his team can contribute by sharing his expertise and enthusiasm, fueling a morning study session, or offering a pick-me-up during a stressful time. “If we can show up in a small way to add that special something to a moment, that’s what we want to do,” he said.
He’s quick to point out that offering support to graduate students doesn’t require a storefront or a slide deck. It starts with raising your hand. “Reach out to The Graduate School office,” he said. “They’re always ready to collaborate and listen to ideas. One conversation and you’re going to walk away with next steps.”
Sometimes that means a classroom visit or a mentorship match. Sometimes it’s as simple as a dozen bagels and a little encouragement during a busy week.
There are many ways to give back to Carolina. For Brandwein, it’s a mix of time, experience and carbs. “What started as a meeting with The Graduate School turned into a partnership,” he said. “Bring an idea, and people here help you build it.”
