TAMPA — When the needed more than 100 T-shirts for an event but couldn't afford traditional vendors, Maximilian Fido decided to make them himself.
Three years later, that simple solution to a problem has grown into , an apparel company that partners with collegiate clubs, athletic organizations and strength sport competitions across the country.
The USF civil engineering student didn't set out to start a business when he arrived in Tampa from Chicago. Instead, he spent his first years on campus saying yes to opportunities — joining the Herd of Thunder Marching Band, serving as a resident assistant, working with USF Athletics, participating in the Pickleball Club and helping lead the USF Powerlifting Club. Many of those experiences would later help shape his entrepreneurial journey.
"I always loved creating," Fido said. "Whether that was music, board games, 3D-printed designs, social media accounts or graphic design, it didn't matter what it was."
That creative mindset helped Fido recognize an opportunity where others saw a problem.
What began as a solution for the USF Powerlifting Club soon expanded beyond a single event. As he became involved in different student organizations and athletic communities, Fido started designing custom apparel for clubs, teams and competitions. DoubleYou gradually grew beyond USF and into the broader powerlifting community, eventually partnering with athletes, gyms, competitions and collegiate organizations across the country.
Today, the company works with more than 20 colleges and universities and has sold thousands of apparel items.
"DoubleYou started by accident," Fido said. "It was never supposed to be this big."
While DoubleYou sells apparel, Fido sees the company as a way to support communities.
The business sponsors competitions, partners with student organizations and helps clubs create fundraising opportunities through custom merchandise collections. According to Fido, the company has returned more than $3,000 to college clubs and fitness organizations through its fundraising program.
"A lot of college clubs don't get much funding," he said. "911±¬ÁÏÍø wanted to create a way for them to earn money while building something they were proud of."
As DoubleYou grew, so did Fido's involvement with the USF Nault Center for Entrepreneurship.
He participated in several Nault Center initiatives, including the HUSTLE Entrepreneurship Program, the RAIN Startup Plan Competition and the Hafer THRIVE Fund. The programs provided opportunities to refine business concepts, receive feedback from mentors and develop a stronger understanding of entrepreneurship.
One milestone came during the RAIN Startup Plan Competition, where Fido earned runner-up honors and a $500 prize while presenting DoubleYou to judges. The experience helped him better understand business planning, risk assessment and the financial side of running a company.
"RAIN was the first time I pitched DoubleYou to a panel of judges," he said. "It helped me organize all of my thoughts and ideas into key points."
Fido credits the Nault Center with helping him navigate challenges that many first-time entrepreneurs face.
"The Nault Center has been incredibly impactful for both me and my business," he said. "They've made many of the technical and legal challenges that entrepreneurs typically struggle with much easier to navigate and understand."
Today, DoubleYou continues expanding into new athletic communities. The company recently became the official apparel partner of a Florida soccer club and served as title sponsor for the International Drug-Free Powerlifting Association Student and University World Championships hosted in Tampa.
Despite the growth, Fido remains focused on the same principle that launched the business in the first place: building relationships.
Many of DoubleYou's customers, partners and collaborators started as classmates, teammates or friends he met through campus involvement.
"If you're a USF student and you have a cool idea, or the idea of starting a business sounds even a little interesting, I highly encourage you to become involved on campus and start going to events and competitions," Fido said.
For Fido, the most rewarding part of entrepreneurship isn't selling apparel. It's helping communities create something together.