People of Central: Brendan Barker

Written by Breanna Prince

With only one picture away and having his mom help match his outfits for work, senior Brendan Barker, majoring in entrepreneurship knew he needed to create a business to help others out. 

That business is called UBU, which is a personal stylist for everyone.

“You can send a picture of your outfit of what you’re wearing, to a fashion stylist, where they can help you out with direct communication on what would look good,” Barker said. 

As an intern at Medkinect during the summer of 2023, he needed professional clothes to switch out of after wearing scrubs during the surgical procedure. 

“Trying to look nice on different days and not wearing the same outfits was definitely a struggle,” Barker said. “I wanted someone to tell me I look good or that it matched.” 

Barker met up with his mother at Kohl’s to have her help him pick out clothes that matched and looked nice. 

He had a total of seven dress shirts, with gray, white, and black pants, that his mom laid out for him to take a picture of. 

“I looked at that picture every single morning in the summer and thought to myself, there could be a better solution for this,” Barker said. 

On the first day of class last semester, he brought his idea, raised his hand, and pitched it.

Barker said the students had shock on their face that his idea could be something real. 

As of right now UBU is only on Instagram, but in the future Barker plans on creating a website and app that is easily accessible, where not only customers can ask stylists for opinions, but stylists sell their own clothing they create. 

Barker wants to eliminate the double thought process whether that’s going out for the night or everyday outfit. 

“You’re basically going to have your stylist and every day people that take a picture or ask questions about their outfit and they ask the stylist or fashion designers on how they can improve it.” 

Barker plans on attending the New Venture Challenge his first time, where he hopes to get more people’s attention. 

“I’ve been talking to people who are going to be there, and they have been giving me really good advice on focusing on what’s important,” he said. 

Being at CMU has helped Barker get on the right path and direction for his business.  

“Professor John Gustincic, has been a huge mentor for me, with just answering every question and helping me every step of the way,” he said. “He’s connected me with Dan Ward, Steve Wakeling and a lot of students that are here. They are all really here for each other and that’s the beautiful thing about this entrepreneurship major.” 

After college, Barker plans on continuing working for Medkinect and expanding UBU on the side. 

“I think from day one of what I thought it would be, to now it’s completely different,” he said. “It keeps changing. It narrows out the things that it doesn’t need and it keeps getting better and more realistic.” 

UBU Instagram: UBU (@u.b.u.fashion) • Instagram photos and videos