She’s Learning What It Takes To Grow a Business

Uchral Altangadas ’28 is already an entrepreneur. She and her family back home in Mongolia run a company that turns sheep wool into organic fertilizer pellets to sell to farmers and gardeners. Altangadas is managing director of the venture. What the finance and accounting double major learned during Trinity University’s summer entrepreneurship program is that leading a business means stepping out of your comfort zone. Plus, she was able to make strides in bringing her product, called Monpellets, to American growers.

Altangadas is one of 111 students who gave an oral presentation at the Summer Undergraduate Research and Internship Symposium on campus this week. The presenters were some of the 253 Trinity University students who participated in academic research, internships, or entrepreneurship in the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship, or SURF, over the past 10 weeks. 

“The Trinity incubator program has helped me pursue opportunities without fear and trust myself more as an entrepreneur,” Altangadas says. “It gave me the confidence to take action and execute ideas that I believe are right for the business.”

Her mentors and incubator team members provided valuable guidance, encouragement, and honest feedback when she needed it, Altangadas added. Their support made her feel confident taking risks and continuing to grow both personally and professionally. 

A win this summer for Altangadas came with the successful delivery of the first international shipment of her fertilizer—10 tons of it landed safely in the Port of Houston. Altangadas said she learned a lot about herself from the experience of meeting logistics and warehouse providers in Houston to accept the load.

“Traveling alone to a city where I knew no one to coordinate an uncertain shipment showed me that I can adapt and lead in unfamiliar situations,” Altangadas says.

Altangadas’ next step is to get the actual product in front of customers right here in San Antonio. She has started conversations with local retailers Rainbow Gardens and Gardentopia to get her product on their shelves. After this summer, Altangadas knows she’s ready to meet the demands of whatever comes next.

“I’ve had a lot of experiences where I’ve had to build courage up and just go for it and figure it out along the way,” Altangadas says.