Cha’Gate beverages were on full display during ALANAPalooza on Sept. 4, 2025. One of many contracts Cha’Gate has secured over the past three years, the venture passed out its bubble tea to attendees.
At the end of their time at Colgate, every student entrepreneur faces the difficult dilemma of whether or not to continue running their venture off campus. However, following in the footsteps of GateTV’s Ari Roth ’24 and Ethan Cott ’24, Bill Luo ’26 and Vivian Jiang ’26 have decided to pass the baton to ambitious student entrepreneurs who are ready to do what it takes to help Cha’Gate continue to thrive. The onboarding process has required patience, passion, and extended communication between predecessors and successors.
Luo said of the venture: “Cha’Gate is a bubble tea business located on Colgate’s campus. Vivian and I no longer own the business, but our goal was to spread Asian culture across the campus through bubble tea. During our freshman year, we noticed there wasn’t a lot of diversity in drink options at Colgate. And since we both come from areas where bubble tea places are common, we wanted to bring that to Colgate. We do this through catering at many Colgate events.” In the fall of 2025, Jenna Palubeckis ’28, Chi Trieu ’28, and Suchen Yao ’27 took ownership of Cha’Gate to continue Luo’s and Jiang’s mission.
As many entrepreneurs know, transferring ownership does not come without its challenges. Luo recounted some of the hurdles and learning opportunities that he and Jiang experienced during the process.
“We learned very quickly that running the business and teaching others how to run the business required two different skill sets. We had to maintain a delicate balance of demonstrating the operations of the business while also keeping the environment fun and engaging. We also had to balance keeping certain methods of operation while also allowing them room to make changes that better suit their style. In the process of transitioning ownership, Vivian and I learned new skills that we would not have learned otherwise,” Luo said.
Conversely, Palubeckis said, “I think the biggest challenges have been with transitioning from being an employee to being an owner. With this transition comes a lot more work behind the scenes and independence on all of our parts. We also have to worry about other details, such as legal paperwork, contracts, and a business banking account. However, with time, we are hoping to get the hang of running the business through practice as well as some trial and error.”
Despite the challenges they faced, the team was able to consolidate their skills to make the onboarding process as seamless as possible. Palubeckis shared the various aspects of Cha’Gate that were passed down from the original owners.
“We learned how to make the drinks and cook the tapioca, and even joined TIA to learn the basics of running a business while continuing to innovate. We also catered events where Bill and Vivian let us take the lead so that we could basically ‘run’ the business independently,” Palubeckis said. “Now, they are primarily our mentors, and we have fully taken over the business. We are currently learning the other parts of running a business, such as storage and purchasing of materials, communication, and scheduling, with their help in the process.” Now serving the business as a mentor, Luo advised the team to “not be afraid to ask for help when needed.” The new owners will be able to continue using Luo and Jiang as a resource until the pair graduates in May 2026.
Customers across campus have shared their excitement, looking forward to seeing what will come of the new ownership; however, they won’t see a big difference, not quite yet. “So far, we are going to stick mostly to what Bill and Vivian have been doing as we make the transition. However, we already have plans in the works to add new flavors,” Palubeckis teased, “and will be looking at ways in which we can make the running of the company more efficient.” So, keep a lookout for Cha’Gate with an expanded list of flavors at the 2026 Entrepreneur Showcase during Arts, Creativity, and Innovation (ACI) Weekend.
After a semester of challenges and learning experiences, Palubeckis, Trieu, and Yao are more than ready to tackle entrepreneurship on their own.
On behalf of the office of Entrepreneurship and Innovation, thank you, Bill and Vivian, for creating and evolving Cha’Gate, and welcome Jenna, Chi, and Suchen to the TIA family.